The Queen
by senzubean
Summary: A story detailing the life of the Queen of the Saiyans
1. The Queen: Chapter 1

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The Queen:

Part 1

By: senzubean

I do not own Dragon Ball Z in any way. I make no profit from this story. I just wrote it for fun.

**Chapter 1: Beginnings**

"Where is she?" The young saiyan female asked herself. Her little sister had wandered off again. She scanned the ground for footprints then crouched down and touched the grass. "She hasn't come this way." The girl stood up and scanned what seemed to be an endless blanket of trees. "Oh, Letta, when will you ever learn?"

The girl levitated high above the trees and scanned the valleys, mountains and fields. She didn't understand how one little girl could disappear so quickly. 

"I can't find her." The female panicked. "I hope she hasn't gotten into trouble like yesterday."

She pushed her long black hair out of her face as she flew. She was so busy scanning the woods that she did not see the men approaching her.

"There she is." One bellowed to the others. The girl was startled and halted in mid-air. She regained control and tried to fly away in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, she had lost too much time though and one immediately latched on to her. He tried to pull her down but she was too strong. She flew like lightning and tried to shake him off by diving and making sharp turns, unaware that she was dealing with one of King Vegeta's Elite soldiers and not a common saiyan savage. The other seven soldiers joined their comrade and managed, with some difficulty, to drag her to the ground. 

They all piled on top of her so she wouldn't escape. They had been warned that she might struggle. To their surprise, she did not. She lay beneath them limply, eyes shut. She had surrendered.

Two of them each grabbed an arm and hauled her to her feet. She stood up proudly, giving off an air of power although she was quite small. The leader of the group stood in front of her.

"So, you are wise as well as strong." He remarked. The girl stared right in his eyes challenging him to take her on and experience just how strong she was. "Pretty too." He added and smiled. He rose up in an official looking stance. "By the orders of his majesty, King Vegeta, you are being arrested." He paused for a moment, and sized her up. He wasn't very impressed by what he saw.

"What is your name girl?"

"Recely."

The two guardsmen escorted Recely into a large, dark chamber. They released her in the middle of the room, turned and left. She watched as the heavy doors shut and then heard the two men bar it from the outside. She scanned the room nervously. There was a long table in the center with over two dozen chairs. Across the room there was a set of doors just like the ones she had been escorted through.

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Why has the king brought me here? Why didn't he just have those men band against me in the woods? They would have killed me had they all attacked at once.

Recely was terrified. Every tiny noise made her jump. She didn't want to die yet. She took a deep breath. _But, if I am to die, then I am to die. I will not give the king the satisfaction of knowing that I am afraid of him._

Recely rose up to her full height, which was not very much and stood her ground, arms at her sides and feet apart. She was ready for when the King would enter the room. She waited for over a half an hour. Finally, she got a little too bored and stiff and decided to take a stroll around. She was about to take a step when the doors in front of her flew open. 

A tall figure marched in. His feet landed heavily on the floor with each powerful step. Recely dropped to her knee in a low bow. The king had frightened her after all. His presence was so powerful; it filled the room and weighted the air. The king walked right past Recely, ignoring her, and started to rummage through a long cupboard mounted on the wall. Recely didn't know what to do next, so she remained on the floor. She heard glass clinking and liquid pouring. Then the king stepped up beside her.

"Recely?" The king asked.

"Yes your majesty, how may I be of service to you?" Her words came out broken as she forced them from her mouth.

__

What is the matter with me? I am not a coward, but the King is going to think I am! Recely, Be strong! 

She tried to will herself to stop shaking, but her body had other ideas. His presence was overbearing. She felt him towering over her, staring down. She braced herself for his inevitable blow, but it did not come. 

"We will see what service you can be." The king replied coldly. Recely slowly looked up at him. He was muscular, tall and arrogant looking, every inch a King. 

"You will join me." He said looking at her without expression. He was holding two full glasses and he motioned towards the table. 

"Yes your majesty." She said and rose. The king handed her a drink and took his place at the head of the table. Recely sat down at the other end and stared at the drink she clutched with both hands, afraid to make eye contact with him. The king stared at her while sipping his drink. Recely dare not sip hers.

"You are 16?" He asked after what seemed like an eternity to Recely.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"And you have a power level of 11,000?" He asked.

"That is what I was told by the soldiers who brought me here, Your Majesty." She would honestly have to take their word on that fact; she had no idea what a scouter was previous to that day and she had never known her power-level. All she knew was that she was phenomenally strong. Too strong for her own good.

"Do you like to fight?"

Recely didn't know how to respond. Honestly, she did not but what should she tell the king? If she said yes, he might feel threatened, if she said no, he might think she was a coward, or worse, a liar.

"Answer me." The king ordered impatiently.

"No, Your Majesty, I do not." She replied honestly. She decided honesty was always better than lying. Curiosity got the better of her and Recely brought her eyes up from her glass to look at him. She was met with his analyzing glare, she could plainly see that he did not believe what she'd just told him.

Her hands started to noticeably shake and her drink sloshed around in her glass.

The king stared at her. "You do not like to fight and you are afraid." he observed. "Someone is lying to me." He got up and walked over to her end of the table. He loomed over her. Recely stopped shaking. She was frozen in fear now.

"Who's lying to me girl?" He demanded in a reserved tone. She turned her head away from him. He violently grabbed her by the jaw and twisted her head to look up at him. The action made her spill her drink all over herself.

"Are you lying to me?" 

"No, your majesty." She said trembling.

"Well, someone is. Those soldiers that came crawling back from your woods yesterday said that you had attacked them. They said that you were a warrior. You look like a scared little mouse to me, most disappointing."

"I am no coward!" Recely said forcefully, pulling her head from the King's grasp.

The King smiled.

"Prove it then." He said in a perfectly casual voice, then he hauled off and hit her across the face. Her head swung to the right. The king looked impressed. Most of his subjects would've been plastered all over the opposite wall after a blow like that from him. Recely, however, remained in her seat. She turned and looked up at him.

"What have I done to deserve this punishment?" Recely asked trying to contain her fear and anger. Surly he understood that she was only protecting her territory, she hadn't defied him in any way.

"This isn't punishment, girl." He stated and took a handful of her hair and lifted her out of her seat. " You've done nothing to offend me, I assure you." He threw her across the room. She gained control of herself in midair and lowered herself safely to the ground.

The king laughed then lunged at her. She blocked his kicks and punches until he had forced her back against the far wall. The King was amazed. He didn't knock her off balance and she didn't seem to be in pain. He wanted to see more.

"Defend yourself, girl!" The king shouted at her. 

Recely swung at him, obeying his order. She figured she had nothing to lose. _I'm dead anyway; I might as well fight him and prove to him that I am no coward._

The King caught her fist but missed the other one. She buried it into his stomach. He groaned with pain, then head butted her. She took a defensive stance, undaunted by the blow. Her landed punch did not make her confident, she knew the king was holding back the bulk of his power.

Recely kicked him in the face as he advanced on her, causing him to stagger backwards. He mimicked her attack exactly She fell back more than he had and blood dripped from her nose. The King then flung a power ball at her, which she batted away effortlessly. The power ball plowed through the wall leaving a large, smoking hole. Immediately, She returned one of her own. The king received it on the chest, then flung ten more at her. Recely deflected three, but the other seven were too fast and hit her. She was thrown across the room and slammed against the wall. Then she landed in a heap on the floor. But she wasn't through. 

She went to get up, but the king was there to force her back down. He kicked her with a force that had to be close to his full power-level, and she slammed against the wall again. Slowly she pulled herself to her feet. She was getting weary. 

__

Enough! She thought to herself then powered up, yelled and charged. She punched him over twenty times in the face. As she pulled her arm back for a final blow, he grabbed her arm and slammed her off the floor. A few bones in her right arm cracked and she felt pain shoot through it like lightning. The pain came as a surprise; no one had ever caused her to hurt like that before. She lost precious time while recovering from the shock of it. The King straddled her prone body and pinned her by her arms before she could attempt to get back up. He knelt over her, smiling ecstatically. She brought her leg up between his legs in a desperate attempt to force him off her. The king chuckled.

"You're one powerful little woman. I was hoping you weren't lying to me!"

Recely stared at him angrily; she wasn't through fighting yet. She had more to give. She glared right at him. Blood was smeared over his face and it looked like she might have loosened a few of his teeth.

He then did something completely unexpected. He kissed her right on the lips, passionately. Recely tried to tear herself away to no avail. She kicked him between the legs as hard as she could. He burst out laughing.

"Oh, I'm pleased with you!" He stated and then put his left hand around her throat keeping her pinned to the floor. She tried to lash pout with her right arm, but that was the one that had been broken and it gave her too much pain. She missed as he moved towards her lower body.

"You're definitely the closest to my equal." He stated then put his hand on her abdomen, he clenched his fingers around the fabric of her pants.

He smiled at her. "So, you wanted to know how you can be of service to me? Well, as you know, I am the most powerful man on this planet. I can't train seriously with anyone here, no one is any match for me and to be completely honest, I've become positively bored." The King chuckled pleasantly, then looked at her with adoringly. " But you my dear, are different. You're power-level is much greater than 11,000. You are not only the strongest female on the planet; you're the second strongest Saiyan! Do you understand what that means? The only person who could possibly best you on this entire planet is I. I need you as my training partner." He pulled at the fabric some more causing Recely to tense every muscle in her body.

"Consider yourself lucky, had you been a man you would've been too much of a threat to me and I would have destroyed you." He clenched his hand tighter and his expression turned to one of reserved excitement. "Also, every kingdom needs an heir. The Planet Vegeta does not have one. You will provide that heir. There is no female on this planet better than you." He smiled and kissed her again. Recely just closed her eyes. What he was telling her was not sinking in. 

"You will be my mate, my queen." He stated this solemnly and kissed her again, for over two minutes. Recely lay beneath him limply; allowing this violation and praying it would go no further. As the King kissed her, he slowly released his grasp around her throat, then the grasp on her pants. Recely relaxed, exhausted from panic. She had been sure he was going try for his heir right there and then. For reasons unknown the King had spared her that trauma. He rose off the floor abruptly, freeing his victim completely. Recely lay there in shock. 

The King made his way over to the cupboard and began pouring them more drinks. Recely sat up on the cold floor and put her hand to her head. She had a headache and it wasn't just from the beating she had just received. A million things were going through her mind. Horrible Scenarios of how terrible her life would be from then on.

The King returned to her side and tried to help her up. But Recely shunned the assistance and stood back up herself. She swayed a bit but managed to stand up proudly. The King handed her another drink. She accepted it and muttered a very ungrateful thank you. The King held out his arm to escort her to the table but only then realized that they had destroyed it. He hurriedly picked up an overturned chair and brought it to his queen. Recely immediately collapsed into it. The King turned to get himself one and when he turned back he saw Recely passed out over the armrest of her chair and her drink tipped over in her lap.

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Chapter 2: Family

Recely was woken up for the fifth time that morning. She suspected that another servant had entered her chamber. The King was sending one after the other it seemed. All of them offering food, books, and technology that she'd never heard of. It was all very annoying, Recely wanted to be left alone in order to try and cope with this situation she'd gotten herself into.

She woke up in a rejuvenation tank the night before, frightened. She had never seen such devices and didn't feel safe in it. She was quite astonished when the King, looking very concerned as she stepped out, explained what the machine was and that she was fully healed. Recely didn't believe him at first, but the way she felt proved it to be true. She was healed. This place she was in now was completely foreign to her. Planet Vegeta had been her birthplace but this was not the world she knew. 

Promptly, she was escorted to her rooms. There were four of them in total and they were all elaborately decorated with objects she did not need. Objects such as velvet drapery and silk bedcovers. There were Fireplaces in each room and a bathtub that could be mistaken for a swimming pool.

The King then showed her the room attached by two massive doors to bedchamber. Across this room, directly opposite the doors attached to Recely's, there were two more doors that the King said were attached to his own chambers. This room was almost identical to her bedroom, with an almost identical bed only it had guardrails on the sides There were a few other items placed in the room that indicated to Recely that she was standing in the chamber of the future Prince or Princess. She was more frightened than ever by this. The expression on the King's face was one of eagerness and excitement. Recely looked away for m him and re-scanned the room carefully. Her gaze fell on a rocking chair near the huge window, the same windows present in every one of her rooms. A baby blanket was neatly folded over the headrest. Everything needed to care for a baby was ready and waiting in that room. The only thing in that room that wasn't ready for a baby was Recely. 

Before allowing her to retire, the King explained that she was his equal and had as much power in the kingdom as he did. Anything she wanted was hers and told her to feel free to order the servants to perform any service. He then remarked at how beautiful she was then left. 

Recely was not happy. Nor was she impressed with the King. She didn't want anything except to go home and she knew that that was the one wish the king would refuse to grant.

She was up all night crying. She loved her family and the title of queen was not something she valued more than that. She remembered the previous day's events with sorrow. She had wished she'd listened to her older brother.

Recely! Recely!" A high pitched voice yelled from somewhere within the Forrest. Recely looked towards the origin of the voice and sighed. She re-sheathed the sword she was cutting up her kill with and walked towards the woods. She was only halfway there when a little saiyan girl plowed right into her legs. She swung around to hide behind the older girl.

"What's wrong now Letta?" Recely asked flatly. There was always something wrong with Letta.

"Ratok and Crol beat me up!"

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Then what's the problem?"

"They beat me up!"

Recely growled in frustration. She grabbed the girl's arm and flung her towards the Forrest. Letta landed on her rear and immediately started to whine.

"Enough of that! You're not a baby anymore; you need to defend yourself and stop running to me. I have work to do."

"But Recely I'm not strong."

"And you won't get strong if I keep fighting your battles for you. I refuse to do it anymore, so don't even ask me!" She then returned to butchering dinner. Letta lingered for a while; hoping Recely would have pity on her and help. Recely ignored her. Letta finally gave up went back to the woods.

Recely felt a little bit bad, but se knew it had to be done. 

__

"There's no valid reason for a Saiyan Female to be weaker than a male." The words of her brother, Sage, echoed through her mind. He was right. She knew it would be hard on the little girl at first, but she'd be better off in the future. Recely felt bad about being so hard on her, but she desperately wanted Letta to grow stronger. She couldn't be with her every hour of every day.

She took the meat into the house and started to cook it in a stew pot over the hearth. She'd have to go out and catch some more. She had five Saiyan mouths to feed. One huge carcass wasn't nearly enough. Her chores were another reason why Recely couldn't go fight for Letta; they'd never get done. Letta was so self-conscious, she could hardly function. 

__

Sage is worried about her. Recely thought. W_ith good reason._

As a female she was a target for males because there were so few on the planet Vegeta. But Letta was also weak, the lowest class of saiyan you could find. She had a power level of 1. Sage had found Letta in a destroyed village. A group of savages had attacked and killed everyone. He had heard Letta crying and had found the six-month-old in the village well, traumatized. The savages had killed her parents and left Letta to drown in the well. Somehow she survived.

Recely and Sage had loved and cared for her like she was their sister. But instead of the little girl prospering and growing stronger like the other orphans they took care off, Letta remained weak and helpless. No amount of training and encouragement could raise her power level from 1. At five, Letta was no more powerful than the animals the family ate for dinner every night.

Sage always told Recely that there was no hope for her. That one day, she would be killed. Recely had more confidence in Letta than that though; she had survived the savages beating and the well that was meant to be her grave at such a helpless age.

Recely and Sage ran the only orphanage on the planet Vegeta and it was only a matter of time before Sage found another child. Recely wasn't worried about that. She liked the children, they would probably be the closest things she'd have to her own. There was no hope of her ever obtaining a mate for herself. Although she was beautiful, she was much too strong to reveal herself to anyone.

Recely ran through the Forrest with swiftness uncommon to even saiyans. Most saiyans were large. Brute force was what most saiyans goals were. That's also why most saiyans were idiots. Recely and her brother were both small though and they were smart. They depended more on their minds than on strength. Sage more so, because he wasn't very strong, a middle-class.

She found another huge beast to kill. She crouched behind some shrubbery, smiling excitedly.

__

This one's exceptionally large; maybe I won't have to kill another if I can get it. Recely thought to herself. She unsheathed her sword in complete silence and was about to jump.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" a familiar high-pitched scream echoed. The beast was startled took off into the woods. 

"Dammit Letta!" Recely grumbled. She stood up and sheathed the sword. She looked towards the beast. _I wonder if I can catch it?_ She shook her head. _I'd better go see what that kid wants now. Those other two brats might actually be hurting her._

She started to run towards the screams. They were getting fainter. Recely was worried, it was odd of her not to stop. It was also odd for Ratok and Crol not to stop whatever they were doing to her. They know how dangerous these woods are, it's not a good place to be fooling around. Recely took off into the air. The noise was almost inaudible now and she couldn't lose the girl. 

__

I'm starting to think it's not Ratok and Crol that are doing this to her. 

Recely was right. Two very large men were bothering Letta this time. Recely growled in rage.

"Not those bastards again! Why won't they leave us alone!" She exclaimed to herself and began her descent.

"I want her!"

"No, I caught her!"

"But I saw her, besides, you've eaten today, I couldn't catch anything."

The two brutes argued. Each had one of Letta's arms and was playing tug of war with her. Letta screamed. Both men yelled in frustration at the noise and threw her onto the ground rendering her unconscious. At that precise moment, Recely dropped down between the two men, with rage in her eyes. They were still fighting over Letta and didn't seem to notice her. 

"Hey!" She interrupted them. "Haven't you guys figured it out yet? I'll destroy you both like I did your friends! Why do you insist on tormenting my family?" Recely shouted at the top of her lungs. 

Recely waited for her answer, expecting it to be in the form of some pathetic attack. The savages weren't very strong, although they believed themselves to be invincible. They were vagabonds who ravaged the country villages for fun. They were dangerous men, all they wanted was to fight, and eat, and they very rarely passed up an opportunity with a woman since they saw so very few.

When she was about ten there were over a dozen of them. She was sixteen now and she had single-handedly knocked the number down to three.

Recely realized too late that these men were not savages. They were wearing armor and they were clean, as far as cleanliness goes with saiyan males. Recely knew she shouldn't fight them because they were soldiers If she started fighting she would have to kill them because no one else could find out how powerful she was. That would be sure suicide. She considered scooping up Letta and running, but she knew the soldiers' curiosity would be sparked and they would follow her to her home and endanger her family. She cursed internally, wanting to know why they were even this far outside any city. Sighing, she prepared her attack, she knew that she had to destroy them now. She just hoped there weren't more of them close by.

"We don't know you, girl. But we can remedy that." The larger soldier laughed with a sinister expression and advanced towards her. Recely understood what they would do to her if they caught her, but they wouldn't catch her. He lunged out to grab her but was thrown backwards by the blow she dealt his chest. He plowed through two trees breaking them off at the trunks, then landed unconscious and bleeding on the ground.

She turned to the other soldier. He took one look at her, then at his comrade. 

"Unbelievable!" The man exclaimed. He then looked at the unconscious Letta, grabbed her up by her shirt and held her out in Recely's view. Recely scowled, powered up and began to advance on the man. 

"Don't come any closer, or I'll kill this little weakling.

Recely stopped but remained engulfed in energy.

He smiled wickedly at her, engulfed himself in a blue aura then shot off into the air with Letta. Recely shot up after him then to Recely's horror he threw Letta towards the ground full force. Recely barely had time to catch her. She scraped her arm off the ground as the force of her sister's plummet knocked her off balance as she caught her in her arms. The two tumbled across the clearing and almost slammed into a tree before they finally stopped.

Letta moaned softly and started to stir in Recely's arms. She examined the child, afraid she'd been seriously injured. Letta's eyes fluttered open and she immediately began to wail, Recely took this as a good sign that her sister was fine.

She then turned her attention to the soldier. He was long gone, not even a vapor trail remained. Recely heaved a sigh. _If Sage finds out I'll be in for an earful. Best he not._

She hugged Letta close for a few minutes then set her on her feet.

"Go and wait for me in the woods" She said gently. She still had a job to finish.

"But Recely.." Letta began to whine but stopped when she saw her sister's warning expression. She timidly walked into the woods, sobbing all the way.

Recely waited a few minutes to be sure that Letta was far enough away that she wouldn't hear. Then, she walked over to the unconscious soldier. She examined him curiously. 

__

So this is what saiyan men from the cities look like. I'm disappointed; he looks like a savage. 

During her examination she noticed his chest was still.

She bent down in order to check for a pulse. She had just pressed her fingers into the man's neck when he grabbed her hand. Recely cried out in surprise. He snarled at her and struggled to get up. Recely hardly noticed that he was hurting her wrist, she was stuck in his gaze. His expression was terrifying. No savage had ever looked at her like that before. The savages looked at her as if they would kill her, so did this man, but the difference was that the savages were confident that they would be able to destroy her, this man's expression told her that he knew that he couldn't and he hated her for that. Recely broke away from his hypnotic stare and finished him off with a surge of power forced through her arm into his body. He fell back down to the ground limply and lay still. Recely checked for a pulse just in case and was thankful when it was absent.

She wrenched her hand from his grasp in disgust.

"Hmph!" Recely scoffed. "Wherever you are, I hope that you can hear me. I'm sure that a soldier like you wanted a more honorable death. A big tough man like you being killed by a girl is a great humiliation isn't it? Well, you deserved it you scum, how dare you attack a defenseless child! I hope you rot in hell with all the other savages I've killed. You all deserved the end you received." 

That said, she went to retrieve her sister. 

"Why are you late?" Sage demanded. He was overprotective of the children, and being five minutes late for dinner was an almost unforgivable mistake in his eyes.

"We had some problems in the woods." Recely replied. She set Letta down at her place at the table.

"Gee Letta can't you stay out of trouble for two seconds?" Crol demanded.

"This is none of your business." Sage chastised. "If you're finished eating then go out and train." The two boys obeyed and left the house. Recely set to work dishing up her and Letta's supper.

"Sorry if there wasn't enough." Recely said remembering that she hadn't finished her hunting.

"I don't care about the food, all that matters is that you two got home safely." Sage smiled. "So, did you finish off the last of the savages?"

"They weren't savages." Recely replied. 

"Then who were they?" Sage asked a little panicked. 

"I don't know." Recely lied.

"Were they wearing armor?" Sage demanded urgently. 

"No." Recely lied again, then started eating her dinner. She didn't like lying, but she didn't want Sage to worry needlessly, what was done couldn't be undone after all.

Sage was somewhat relieved with her answers.

"Did you protect Letta again?" He asked accusingly.

"Yes." Recely replied exasperated. She loved her brother dearly, he was more like her father but sometimes his questions and lectures got on her nerves. She couldn't stop being strong, so why should he worry about it. She figured she was in for another lecture. "I killed one." Recely stated. "But the other got away."

Sage stared at her in silence for a moment.

"I thought I told you that Letta was not to go 50 feet from the house." Sage said angrily. Recely sighed. Her brother had actually marked off the end of that 50 feet with a small rope that he embedded in the ground. Recely thought that that was a little much. Letta looked at the floor ashamed. She always whined until Recely let her go with the other kids. Recely noticed that Letta wasn't eating her food.

"Can we discuss this later, Sage?" Recely looked at Letta. Sage understood and silently agreed.

"What's wrong, Letta? You're not hungry?" Sage asked in a concerned voice.

"No." Letta replied meekly. "I'm too scared."

"Of what? Your big sister is always there to protect you, right?"

"Uh-huh." Letta replied even meeker than before. She started to cry. "I'm always getting her into trouble."

Recely looked at her and her heart broke. She wished her brother could hold his tongue in front of her.

Sage started to dry her tears with his sleeve. "No, you're no trouble. I just worry about you all. I'm sorry I said those things." He smiled at her. Letta smiled back. "Now, eat your dinner so you'll grow up big and strong." 

Letta started to eat appeased. Recely smiled. Sage always encouraged Letta to increase her power level, even though he told Recely it was hopeless.

After Recely put the children to bed and was sure they were asleep, she and sage went to talk out in their yard.

"You have to stop fighting for her Recely. Either she stays in the yard or fends for herself."

"That's not fair sage, she likes playing with the other kids." Recely replied frustrated and threw herself down on a stone bench.

"The other kids can take care of themselves." Sage replied and began to pace in front of her. Arms crossed. Recely looked at the ground and leaned back on her arms. She knew how long the lectures could be, she decided she might as well be comfortable.

"You're so stubborn sage! We have this conversation at least once a week!"

"We wouldn't if you would just listen! You always let her wander off into the woods unsupervised and you both get in trouble!"

"So what Sage, its no trouble fighting those jerks, they're the worst kind of scum and they all deserve to die!"

"Maybe so. But that doesn't mean you should risk your life unnecessarily."

"What are you talking about?" Recely demanded. Letta was not an unnecessary risk in her eyes.

Sage stopped his pacing and stated gently. "Recely, Letta is not a normal Saiyan."

"Yes she is, she just has problems!"

"No, Recely. She is not normal. A normal child would've bounced back by now." Sage argued getting increasingly frustrated.

"Her parents were slaughtered and she was left to die!"

"She was too young to remember any of that." Sage practically yelled. Recely eyed the house, afraid he'd woken up the kids. He sighed, shook his head, and continued in a calm tone. "She's not going to survive for very long Recely. One of these days you'll be too late to help her."

"No!" Recely exclaimed in assurance. 

"Yes!" Sage replied forcefully. "Accept it, she's going to die." Sage got up and walked towards the woods. "And as horrible as this sounds, I think it's for the best." Recely's mouth dropped open. 

He quickly disappeared into the woods. He took walks when he was frustrated. Sometimes he didn't return until the next afternoon.

Recely pulled her legs up to her chin and sobbed_. I don't care what sage thinks! Letta deserves to live as much as I do. _

"Recely? Can I go to the pond?"

"No, Letta." Recely responded for the fifth time. She hung some laundry on the clothesline to dry. Letta was lying on the stone bench. Her head was tipped backwards and she was looking at everything upside down.

"Will you take me?"

"When I'm finished with the housework." Recely replied as she started folding dry clothes.

"Where's Sage?" Letta asked.

"He's hunting?"

"Since breakfast?" Letta wondered. It was almost evening. Recely sighed. _She's small in power but she's not small in mind._

"I guess so." Recely replied. Letta let herself tumble off the bench.

"I am trouble aren't I?" Letta asked out of the blue in a casual manner.

"We told you that you weren't."

"But I don't think you really meant it."

"We don't lie Letta!" Recely snapped. _As much as I love her she can really grate on my nerves!_

Letta looked at the ground. " Ratok said he heard you talking last night and he told me that he heard Sage say he thought that everyone would be better off if I died." 

Recely dropped her basket in shock. She quickly regained her composure. 

"Sage and I don't lie, but it's obvious that Ratok does!" Recely responded. She knelt beside Letta, who had started to cry. "He was only teasing you, we would never say such a thing. You are our sister and we love you!" Recely pulled her close to her and hugged her warmly. 

"I love you too." Letta replied and hugged tightly back. The two stayed like that for a few moments, until they heard someone enter the yard. It was Sage. Letta jumped up and ran to him, attaching herself to his leg affectionately. Sage tussled her hair half-heartedly.

"Letta, go inside the house and stay there until we return." Sage said in a flat tone. Letta obeyed immediately, hiding her emotions from him, she was crushed that he didn't seem to care about her, he did not return her gesture of love. She peered through the window when she got inside.

Recely grumbled in severe annoyance, she saw right through Letta's mask and was angered that her brother had not. 

"I finally got her feeling better and you came home and ruined it." Recely accused. " Ratok heard you talking last night and he told Letta that horrible thing you said."

Sage's face was unmoved. Recely expected him to at least be remorseful.

"Why did you lie to me?" Sage demanded. The vein in his forehead was throbbing. Recely knew that she was in trouble.

"So, you found the body." Recely asked. _I guess I should have removed the armor and destroyed it. I won't repeat that mistake._

" You looked me in the face and told me that they weren't wearing armor" Sage said, his expression of fury morphed into one of devastation. "Why Recely? What else have you lied to me about?"

"Nothing!" Recely replied defensively. She heaved a sigh of frustration. "I lied so you wouldn't worry about me, Sage. I had to fight them, there was no backing out and unfortunately, one got away. So what?"

"SO WHAT?!" Sage erupted. "Have you any idea what you've done."

"Oh, perhaps I've provoked the wrath of King Vegeta, our lord and sovereign!" Recely said sarcastically. 

Sage glared at her furiously. "Fine Recely, be sarcastic. Dammit, how could you let one escape? Now he'll tell heaven knows how many people about you and that massive power level of yours. You are in big trouble!"

Recely rolled her eyes, she'd heard that speech a hundred times. If she hadn't let an enemy go she would've been too noisy and attracted nearby farmers, or destroyed too much of a noticeable amount of forest. Almost overtime she did battle for her family she did something, in Sage's eyes, to bring unwanted attention to herself.

"It's late, Sage. If King Vegeta had heard about this and was that interested do you really think I'd be here with you now? Humph! As if he could let his Kingly self be bothered by a stupid little hick in the woods!"

"We have to be cautious Recely. I agree that time has probably worked in our favor, but there's a chance that it hasn't." Sage said, ignoring her insult to herself. He walked up to her and took her face gently in his hands. "The king is very unpredictable. He could just be waiting."

"Why?"

"I don't know why."

Recely heaved a frustrated sigh. She was so sick of having this conversation. She wanted her brother to relax. He'd spent years worrying about her. She felt she was an adult now, it was time for her to worry about herself and let her older brother get on with a well-deserved peaceful existence. "What's the difference if they do come. There's nothing we can do about it now."

Sage embraced his sister protectively. "I just don't want to see you hurt, or worse."

"You really believe that the king is the only person who can do that?" Recely asked and then rested her head on his shoulder.

"Yes, I really do."

"I don't think so." Recely replied.

Sage kissed her on the forehead, ignoring her optimism. "Lets just hope this all blows over."

__

He had been right, but this is much worse than death!

Recely heard the door shut and sat up on the bed. She was ready to dismiss the servant, but it was not a servant it was the King.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" The King asked cheerfully. His tone annoyed Recely; she was far from cheerful and didn't plan on feigning cheerfulness.

She went to stand, but the king motioned her to remain where she was.

"Yes." Recely lied.

He stood next to her bed, a little too close for Recely's comfort. She didn't want to be anywhere near that man. She hid her agitation well. The king had no idea she was so angry with him.

"Good, how was your breakfast?" He asked. "I wasn't sure what you liked so I just had the servants prepare several things."

"I wasn't very hungry, but thank you."

"That's fine." The King replied. "You can inform my cooks at lunch what you like and they'll prepare it for you tomorrow morning. I'll send a servant after I leave so you can inform her what you'd like for lunch."

"Thank you." Recely said respectfully, she was having trouble being civil. The king was not there to discuss her favorite dishes or how she slept.

"How can I be of service to you, Your Majesty?" Recely asked as politely as she could. She knew the question was a rude one, considering he came to her room and not the other way around, but she could not help it. She was angry with him and she wanted to be left alone.

"I don't want anything from you now." The King replied. Recely noticed a touch of annoyance in his tone. "I came to ensure you were getting what you wanted." He added in a gentler voice.

__

How nice of you. Well, I'd like to go home, you bastard!

"I'm in want of nothing."

"Are you sure? The servants informed me that you dismissed them all." The King replied provokingly. He wanted to make amends for his ill treatment of her the night before and was becoming frustrated that she was refusing his apology.

"I really just want to sleep." Recely replied almost in exasperation.

"Of course." The king replied. "I'll leave you alone then. Did you want lunch? You can tell me what you'd like instead of me sending a servant."

"No, thank you. Perhaps I will eat supper."

"All right. Will you join me in the dining hall for supper?"

"As Your Majesty wishes."

"You may call me, Vegeta." The king stated. He looked at the floor for a few moments in silence. "Also," He paused for a moment as if searching for the right words. His gestures hadn't had any effect upon her, so he decided to try a more upfront apology.

"I apologize for last night, I think I scared you a little too much. I need someone...someone exactly like you. You can't imagine how long I've searched for the perfect mate, I had to be sure that I'd found her. I have, and I love you. You must understand why I could love you so quickly after just meeting you. You're the most powerful female of all Saiyans, Recely and I am the most powerful male. We belong together."

__

Belong together? Recely did not understand why he would say that, or even why he would apologize for his actions. He was the King. Whatever he ordered she was obliged to do if she wanted to hold on to her life. _Belong Together._ It was true, she'd never have found a mate that would accept her with such a high power level. Recely wished she could've had any man except the King though. But as much as she disliked the idea of being his mate, she knew deep down inside her that this was the way it was meant to be.

All this still didn't make what he did right, it didn't give her dignity back but it did give her a little hope. The hope that perhaps her life wouldn't be completely miserable for the rest of her days.

" Perhaps time will change my feelings towards you." Recely stated, again, thinking herself to be too bold. She had always been one to say exactly what she thought, no one had dared to try and complain to her about that, she had been too powerful.

She wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to love King Vegeta. She had to admit, he was one of the more refined saiyan men she had met, but she still thought he was deplorable. She wondered what he'd done with all those potential mates that didn't measure up to his expectations. More importantly, she wondered what he would do to her if for some reason he decided later that she didn't measure up either.

The king smiled a little then turned to leave.

"Oh, I almost forgot." He turned back to her. "I sent a messenger to tell your family where you are and of your new status." 

Recely was shocked. She didn't want them to know. She hoped they would just assume she was killed. 

Then finally, he left. Recely collapsed on the down filled pillows and groaned. She pulled the covers over her head just in case he sent the servant anyway.


	2. The Queen: Chapter 2

****

The Queen:

Part 2

By: senzubean

I do not own Dragon Ball Z in any way. I make no profit from this story. I just wrote it for fun.

**Chapter 3: The King's Court**

Recely absentmindedly ran her fingers over her crown jewels. She wasn't sure she was going to be able to handle the responsibility that they represented. As of an hour ago, she was Queen Recely Vegeta of the Saiyans. Sighing quietly she slid her dainty hand up her neck and felt the leather cord of her mother's necklace. She missed her family.

The day before, she had been informed by messenger that her Brother was happy that she was safe and told her not worry about the family. He sent the necklace back with the servant. Sage was going to give it to her when she reached adulthood. Recely understood that Sage assumed she was an adult now. 

Recely was happy that her Family was safe, but she was positive that Sage would never stop worrying about her. Nor could she ever stop worrying about them. As long as she lived with the king they weren't safe. 

As for her mate, she accepted him. She had no choice in the matter. It was impossible to refuse him, not without having her family suffer. She didn't care what happened to herself, he could kill her for all she cared but she would not put her family in danger.

Her reflection was broken by a question posed to her by an elite woman. The ladies she was mingling with after the ceremony were all older than she was. She had found out from them that the king himself was over twenty years her senior. Some of the ladies had children her age, which were off in little groups staring at her. Recely watched them. They did not seem to be unhappy. Something the King had said in relation to the children of the elite disturbed her.

A few days prior, when the King told her that he had scheduled their life bonding ceremony and her coronation; he also described who would be in attendance. 

"The whole court will be there." He'd said

"The whole court?" Recely asked nervously.

"Oh, don't worry, there's not that many people in the court. It only consists of the elite, their mates, and their brats."

Recely cringed at the word "brats." He had said the word in a distasteful tone. 

__

Is that his view of children? Recely wondered as she ran her fingers over the smooth blue stone in her mother's necklace. Her disappointment at that statement was extreme. She loved children, but it was obvious to her now that the king wanted a child for one reason and one reason only, to extend his power. The possibility of her ever loving the King was all but crushed now. Recely could feel her life getting more difficult every moment.

Again her train of though was broken by yet another, inane and uninteresting question. For the most part, Recely had no idea what the ladies were conversing about. She did not know anything of politics or city life, or even sociality for that matter. But what she did know was that these women obviously objected to her and she knew they were doubtful of her power. They were afraid to test it out none the less. The King had chosen her after all. Their approval did not matter. Recely was not impressed at all with them, nor with the men either. Super Elite was not a good word to describe any of them. They were all as brutal and crude as any ignorant savage from the deep woods. 

The King was having a grand old time bragging about his new mate. The other men were astonished that she was so young and tiny and everyone in the room wondered where he had actually found her. The king was blatantly unconcerned with the new Queens breeding. A very odd thing for an elite, let alone a king to do. She was not an established Elite and everyone was trying to hide their curiosity as to why the king would life-bond with a woman with questionable lineage. No one dared ask him this though, he was the king and as the rumors stated, prone to fits of temper. 

"Hey Veg!" A voice called from the doorway. King Vegeta smiled at the owner.

"How dare you walk in late, Argo!" the King chastised as he broke away form the group he was conversing with. He walked over to his friend and grabbed his hand in casual, playful greeting.

"Sorry, I was occupied by unfortunate circumstances." Apologized Argo and stood by the king's side. He was about the same size as King Vegeta, not counting hair. Like most saiyans he had black hair, cut short and he was clean-shaven. He was ganglier than the average saiyan and was considered to be almost skinny.

"Oh really?" The king smirked unbelievingly. "And what were those unfortunate circumstances?"

"My mate and I had a late night and slept in."

The King laughed loudly. "But you informed me last week that Kimpu was already with child."

"Oh she is, but we can still have fun. Did you know that those good for nothing Tsoofur-jin wrote whole books on pleasure techniques for the body? I swear, Veg, you'll never want to leave the bedroom again."

"I guess they were good for something then. You'll have to lend me that book."

"Sure. I should've brought it over with me. You could probably use it tonight." Argo elbowed his friend, then scanned the room. "So where is the Queen anyway? I want to see if she's prettier than Kimpu."

"Kimpu is pretty, but Recely is gorgeous." The King taunted. Then he pointed to the group of ladies Recely was with. "There she is, speaking with Kimpu."

"Shit, Vegeta! I thought you wanted a kid right away?"

"I do, moron!" The King responded in childish annoyance.

"Well, explain to me how you're going to accomplish that with a 12 year old girl?"

"She's not 12, she's sixteen." The King corrected defensively.

"That's not much better, cradle robber!" Chastised Argo in mock appall.

The King laughed at his friend.

"So, she's this powerful female Zorn told me about? And you found her in the woods of all places?" He examined her. "She doesn't look that powerful."

"Appearances can be deceiving."

"How powerful is she? Are we talking landing a punch on you powerful?"

"We're talking making me bleed powerful."

"Really?" Argo asked amazed. "Dammit Veg, you get it all don't you? A whole planet, a mate who is young, beautiful and extremely powerful and soon you will have a child to top it all off with. What next, dominance of the universe?

"I highly doubt that." replied The King sourly.

"Frieza been giving you grief?"

"Frieza gives grief to everyone. Especially us Saiyans." The King looked to Recely. "Hopefully, I'll be able to turn the tables."

"Certainly, especially if this Queen of ours is as powerful as you say. You'll sire a Super Saiyan with her, Vegeta."

"I hope so." The King replied solemnly and stared at his mate.

"Let's go." Argo Said and walked toward their mates. "I want to see what kind of personality this Queen has to go along with all her other endearing qualities." 

"So, you're the unfortunate creature that gets stuck with King Vegeta?" Kimpu asked gravely and cocked an eyebrow at Recely. Recely stared back blankly and tried as hard as she could to mask her fear. She didn't know quite what to make of this woman who had just joined her side and began to converse with her, without paying the lengthy respects that all the other women had. The woman, tall, young and blonde laughed after a few minutes of silence. Her loud, boisterous laugh rang through the sitting room, interrupting every conversation and causing her to be stared at. "Don't look so upset. Think of it this way. You've ceased the anxiety of every other available woman on this planet, a lot of people will be grateful for that!" The woman punctuated this statement with more laughter and then lightly punched the queen in a friendly gesture and smiled. "Actually, he's not so bad as far as men go. He's the best ruler this planet could have." Recely regarded her with a confused expression, which gradually made way to a smile. Kimpu smiled warmly back. "Sorry for scaring you, your highness. I just can't control myself sometimes. I'm Kimpu"

Recely bowed respectfully and replied, "My name is Recely." 

"I know, silly." Kimpu giggled. She side glanced at all the other women who were either smiling sheepishly or staring at the floor. The woman motioned with her head towards the refreshment table. "I need a drink, care to join me?" Recely nodded in affirmation and excused herself from the other ladies politely. Kimpu made no such gesture and merely turned away from them.

" Are you close friends with his majesty?" Recely asked making conversation. She was acting very familiar, not at all like the other women. Recely, knowing nothing of her mate, hoped Kimpu could tell her more.

"I think you can call him by his first name, Sweetie." Kimpu laughed.

"He told me I could." Recely replied simply. She didn't feel right about doing that yet.

"Than do it." Kimpu said sternly then giggled happily. "Yes, Vegeta and my mate are best friends, have been ever since they were children. They're like brothers. We don't see eachother much as we live fairly far away from Gardenia City in Foliage City. Vegeta built us a palace there when we life bonded."

Recely hung on to the words "Life bonded". Everything hadn't sunk in yet. Her happiness was fast fading into depression.

"So, " Recely started, trying to keep the conversation moving. "Your mate is a soldier too?" Recely wasn't sure if that was the right way to address a member of the king's army. The King vaguely explained what the elite did off world. It had seemed to Recely that they went to war on other planets.

"Oh no." Kimpu replied regretfully as she took a glass of water from a servant. Pausing only to ask if he was sure there was no alcohol in it. " Argo lost his tail in the last battle with the Tsoofur-jin . One of the dammed things severed it while he was transformed. He can't really help in occupying planets."

Recely looked towards Argo who was advancing with her mate. He had a tail.

"It's a prosthetic." Kimpu answered Recely's question before she could ask. "The Elite all know that it's fake, they don't care. But the citizens don't show the same respect towards a saiyan with no tail. Traditionally, punishment for crimes such as treason and murder and adultery were punishable by the severing of the tail. Some of the elders still consider it justifiable, although it's been decades since the King had a tail severed for a crime." Explained Kimpu.

"What's the punishment now?" Recely asked curiously.

"Actually, it's never come up. The King is so feared that crime is rare and the citizens themselves usually settle what crimes are committed quietly among themselves. The two great cities are virtually crime free." Kimpu sighed. "Vegeta is a good man, but he has a horrible temper."

Recely glanced at her advancing mate nervously. 

"Anyway, " Continued Kimpu. "Argo feels that he's not powerful enough to fight with the elite. Foolishness, I told him, but he's quite stubborn. Vegeta appointed him the Prime Minister of the City Foliage, but he seems to be getting tired of that job. It's mostly all paper work, I suppose once a warrior always a warrior."

"Oh." Recely stated. She tried to think of some way to change the conversation but she was saved the trouble.

"Hey Kimpu, you're not frightening the Queen with horror stories about Veg are you?" Argo demanded as he and the King walked over to them.

"Of course not!" Kimpu said in mock anger and winked at Recely. 

"So, Queenie, how do you like court life? It must be a hundred times better than rural life, hey?"

Recely was offended by the question. She'd trade the dingiest hole on the planet for her crown in an instant. "It's different." She replied simply, not admitting that she liked it but not rejecting it either.

Kimpu elbowed her mate angrily; she had not liked the question either. Argo's face fell, realizing that he'd done wrong.

"Well, You'll get used to it, soon enough." Argo replied submissively with a touch of warm-ness on his voice. "We've all come from the woods originally, Right Veg?" Argo prodded his friend who nodded and smiled.

Recely forced a smile. She had no choice but to get used to it. The King came beside her and put his hand on her shoulder. Recely stood there as naturally as she could, not wanting the discomfort she felt around the king project to the company. 

"Kimpu, you and Recely seem to have hit it off." The King observed with a smile.

"Oh, I think so, don't you Recely? I dare say that I consider myself lucky. I just know we're going to be best friends like you and Argo." Vegeta smiled glad that Kimpu approved.

"Why don't you come over for supper tomorrow evening?" Vegeta asked.

"Hey cool." Argo Agreed. "I'll bring that book with me." Then he winked at the King.

"What book?" Kimpu asked. Argo just smiled. "Oh." Kimpu laughed in realization. Recely didn't like where this was headed. She had no idea what the three were talking about and she hoped this wouldn't be the way things would always be in her new home, everyone knowing more than she did.

"You two will have a child in no time with that piece of literature in the palace." Argo Laughed. Recely liked where the conversation was headed now even less.

"Don't rush." Kimpu warned, "You two have all the time in the world to have a child." She smiled warmly right at Recely. Recely smiled back in gratitude, her new friend understood that she was not ready to have a child yet.

"Don't be silly Kimpu, Veg wants a child right away." Argo blurted out without thinking, again.

"But perhaps Recely does not." Kimpu argued sternly.

"Why wouldn't she?" Argo demanded a little offended at his mate's tone; she was questioning the King after all.

Recely could feel the tension grow and she didn't want to have to answer that question she knew would be asked.

"Do you have children?" She asked of Argo and Kimpu.

"Not for another eight months." Kimpu replied and giggled, patting her stomach as she did so. Argo smiled proudly. "That reminds me, maybe tomorrow at dinner you two could help us with baby names, Argo and I are positively stuck." Kimpu had entwined her arm through Recely's and led her away from the men and toward the huge picture window. Recely counted her lucky stars that she had found a friend in Kimpu. 

Vegeta and Argo looked after their mates. 

"Women." Argo Shrugged. Then he looked at his friend mischievously. "Let's go get a fight started, Veg, I'm bored and I heard that Gourd and Chock are incredibly pissed at each other." Argo hurried off to provoke an argument. Vegeta shook his head and smiled. Then turned back towards his mate and her new friend. He knew Recely was acting distant but he hoped she would become more comfortable with time.

****

Chapter 4: History

The King flung a casual fireball at Recely. It missed by a lot. Recely was surprised he did it so half-heartedly. He seemed incredibly distracted. He wasn't as enthused as when they'd first met four days before.

"Is there something wrong, Vegeta?" Recely asked. She was scared to ask because she was admitting to him that she found his performance unchallenging and she wasn't exactly sure she wanted a challenge from him. They had guests coming in two hours and she doubted she would have time to heal in a rejuvenation tank and get ready as well. She was very excited about seeing Kimpu again.

"No." Vegeta said simply. He stared at her for a few moments. "Yes." He corrected. "Who are you?"

"Pardon?" Recely asked confused. _He life bonded with me, isn't this the sort of question he should've asked before?_

"Who are you? Why were you out in the woods? Who is your family?"

Recely smiled a bit. He had been so thrilled at her power that he didn't even give a damn where it came from. _Well, let's see what his reaction to this will be._ Recely was beyond fear now, she felt she could say anything to him.

"My family lived out there ever since we saiyans first came to this planet. He was a patriot of yours and was helping with the rebellion, in it's early stages"

"Who is your father?"

"My mother's mate was named Teeb."

"Never heard of him. Funny, I should remember that." The King racked his brain, upset that he could not remember this Teeb man.

"Well, he decided after the revolution started that he did not agree with it. So he and my mother fled to the woods."

"Hmmmm. He didn't have to do that. I gave everyone a choice. Plenty of my followers refused to fight. Some of them were elite."

Recely just shrugged, not knowing how to respond to that. She didn't know what her parents were thinking.

"So, what did they do in the woods? It must've been hard to survive there." The King stated.

"It was hard to survive there. They took care of orphans that lost their parents tot the Tsoofur-jin ."

"They were powerful?"

"No, they were second class saiyans." Recely admitted, with hesitation.

"Then how can you be so powerful?" Recely lowered herself to the ground from where she was in the air. The King followed, his curiosity overwhelming him.

"Well, the day your soldiers came to my home, I thought they were savages."

"Savages?" The King asked. "What kind of savages? And what do they have to do with your power level?" He demanded impatiently, assuming that she was trying to avoid telling him her true origins.

"Yes, saiyan savages, opposes to your rule. They have everything to do with my power level. I had to protect my family against them. They are very, very strong men and there were over a dozen of them at the start."

The King looked a bit shocked. "I hadn't known there were opposers to me." He said, quite annoyed, he was positive he had convinced everyone on the planet to pledge loyalty to him, despite the fact that many of them did not agree with his actions. The Vegeta family had been the protectors and governors of the saiyans since the beginning of time it seemed. It wasn't really a drastic change that the latest generation of the family Vegeta would officially appoint himself king. Obviously, he had missed a few saiyans in his convincing though. "But, even if you fought them since birth," the King continued "You wouldn't be this powerful now, not with middle classed parents."

"One of my biological parents was a middle classed saiyan, the other was..." Recely trailed off and looked at the floor. She now wished she hadn't been so eager to tell him about her heritage.

"A savage." Vegeta finished for her, remembering that Recely had referred to the man called Teeb as, "my mother's mate." not,"my father." He walked over to her and put his on her cheek. "I am so sorry."

"Why?" She snapped, making piercing eye contact with him. "You're not a savage. You have your own agenda for wanting a child. I have my own and that savage that was my father had his own." She turned away from him and tried to hold back her tears. "He wanted to hurt people, Vegeta. He was selfish. So, why are you sorry for what you did to me? Are your motives selfish as well?"

"No, my beloved they are not. I want a child to free this planet and I need you. I have not been completely honest or open with you. My affairs off world are..sordid ones." The King paused and swallowed. "I don't know if you were taught this but we saiyans ran a business on our mother ship as we traveled throughout the galaxy. We purged planets of civilized life for buyers, races like us, who did not have planets to call their own. We made a lot of money doing that. But my father grew impatient with this business and decided that it was about time we got a planet of our own. A home. When we landed here, what was then called the planet Plant, we met with Tsoofur-jin. We had been set on destroying them, but my father, being a businessman saw potential money in the technology the Tsoofur-jin offered. So, we allied with them and we actually led quite a peaceful existence for a few years. But the Tsoofur-jin weren't without their faults and they made the unfortunate mistake of trying to control us with their weapons and barriers. Not to mention they didn't hesitate to expel us form our newly established homes whenever they felt the urge to build a new city. By then, my father had died and I was in charge. I have a bad temper and in my youth may have acted foolishly, definitely impulsively, and what started out as a demand for equality transformed into a fight for dominance and …I won." The King swallowed again and looked at Recely. "Years passed and I tried to rebuild the damaged planet, I had plans for great cities, better than any of those we had ever lived in. I wanted to make this a home that we could all be proud of, but I needed money. We sold the technology to a lot of our previous planet customers but we soon exhausted that source of income. Then Frieza showed up. Have you ever heard of Frieza?" the King asked.

"Only recently, yesterday to be exact." Recely replied.

The King nodded understandingly. "Frieza is the most horrible, cruel and vicious tyrant the universe has ever known. I'll be the first to admit that I'm a brutal man, but Frieza…He's just a tyrant. He destroys planets for his entertainment and personal gain, not to survive. Anyway, I allied with Frieza five years ago in order to gain funds for the expansion for our two major cities, Gardenia and Foliage. It worked and the cities are now glorious, but recently Frieza has begun to take advantage of us and it's enraging me. My family did not work this hard for our people to be surpressed thus! I won't stand for it!" The King yelled, frightening his queen, who stumbled back from him. 

The King calmed himself and looked at her pleadingly. ,"but I can't do it alone. In fact, I can't do it at all. But if a Prince or Princess was to be born with our combined power levels and trained properly he or she could do it and free us saiyans forever. I want to stop destroying lives and homes and start building them. I should have explained that to you from the beginning, but.... I had to be sure."

"Sure that I was the one." Recely turned to face him. "I am honored that you think I can help. But what you did to me was wrong, Vegeta. I'm not like the brutal saiyans you now, I love my family and all the power and possessions in the universe couldn't replace them!" Recely was breathing heavily, trying not to cry. 

"I assure you my love, I will make up to you all that you've lost because of me."

"That's not possible, but if you really want to give me back some of my dignity you can promise me that you want me to help you better this planet and the universe itself. If this Frieza person is as terrible as you say, then the universe will be better off without him. It would comfort me to know that I would help better the life in general for the entire universe."

"That's exactly what I need you for. I _need_ you Recely." He brought her close to him and embraced her gently.

"You're not upset about your mate being the daughter of a middle class saiyan and a savage?" That was reason enough for him to kill her. She was far from having the genes of an elitist, although she had the power of one.

"You are neither a weakling, nor a savage; therefore, I have nothing to be upset about."

Recely wept into his chest. She was happy that this man that she had thought was so horrible, so ruthless and selfish was not. She was happy that she was not just a possession to him, something to brag about. She was something useful to the planet. Not only would she save her family, and her race, but perhaps the universe as well. 

****

Chapter 5: Death

Recely felt tears well up into her eyes again. She clenched her eyelids tightly together and held her breath. The exercise worked, a few remaining tears were squeezed out and ran down her cheeks. She wiped them away in her sleeve then inhaled slowly. 

It had been three hours since she'd gotten the devastating news. Her best friend, the only one she'd ever had, was dead. Kimpu had died giving birth to her daughter. The King had been to see his best friend and upon his return informed Recely that the little girl her friend had birthed was absolutely beautiful and incredibly strong. An elitist at birth, as was expected. But Kimpu, despite being an elitist herself, had died bringing little Sala into the world. Recely smiled at he name, she had suggested it to Argo and Kimpu and they'd both loved it. She'd asked the King why Argo hadn't named his daughter after her mother. He replied that Kimpu had truly loved the name Recely had suggested and Argo wanted her to be named what Kimpu wanted. 

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Poor Argo Recely mused. _He loved Kimpu so much. Their love was true, not like Vegeta's and mine. I know he tries to prove to me that it is, and maybe he does truly love me, but even after all this time; I don't love him even in the slightest._

She slid her hand down to her midriff and rubbed it over the slight bulge showing through her nightdress.

__

There's nothing I'd like more than to love that man.

She strolled over to her bedroom window and gazed out into the courtyard. The pathway to the front door was darkened as usual. No lights were placed to lighten it. The king had explained to her that this was because as the full moon approached the whole courtyard, as well as the rest of the entire planet, would be engulfed in light. She figured he would know about such things, he was old enough to remember the last full moon, she wasn't, not really. Her brother had told her once that he'd ensured that she missed it. She'd been 10, and had she transformed she'd have been too much for her brother to handle. Recely understood, as all saiyans did, that they went savage in transformed state. 

Gazing at the moon, she realized that she was still undecided whether or not she would transform this time around.

Recely scoffed at the thought of it. She understood all too well why the King had wanted that heir of his so quickly. She had learned not long after her baby had been conceived, that it was widely believed that the earlier a saiyan transformed the more powerful he of she could become as he or she grew. The Prince or Princess would be but five years old upon the appearance of the first full moon.

The queen rubbed her stomach again. Hoping and praying that she would still be around. Kimpu had not been a weak woman.

Tears brimmed in her eyes again but were halted by some commotion at the front gate. She heard one of the guards talking sternly to someone then she heard the urgent voice of a child. She pushed open the glass to have a better listen.

At the front gate the guards were sneering down at a little girl.

"Go home Kid, it's bad enough we're out here all night, we don't need you annoying us."

"But I have to speak to my sister!"

"Kid, your sister aint here. The only woman who lives in here is the queen." 

"I know, that's her. Recely."

The two guards laughed at the scruffy little girl. She started to cry.

The larger guard growled, annoyed at the girl's weakness.

"Little liar, the queen couldn't be any relation to a low class dog like you. Now get home to your parents before I send you there on the end of my boot!"

The girl remained motionless and stared at the ground, sobbing heavily. The guard waited a few minutes.

"That's it, you asked for it!" He yelled ad brought his arm up to strike her. He began the bone shattering swing towards her but stopped. 

He yelled in pain and anger then ceased, terrified.

"Qu..Queen Recely!" He stammered in shock. 

Recely glared at him as she held his distorted limb in her tiny hand. She'd shattered his massive arm by squeezing it between her delicate fingers. Her stance and glare was enough to terrify the two giant men. Recely smirked internally. She had forgotten how much fun it was to terrify ugly brutes like them. She was especially impressed with her performance that night; she was wearing her nightdress and was pregnant to boot.

She released the man then quickly scooped up the little girl, who, of course, was none other than Letta. She was sure she heard her name being spoken out

She then ran down the walkway and into the palace. 

As soon as she was inside she turned Letta to face her. The little girl sobbed uncontrollably and whatever had sustained her in getting her all the way from her home in the woods to the palace was fading fast.

"Letta, what happened? Where's Sage?"

"Th..th..th they came, R..Rec.."

"Who?" Recely demanded urgently. By this time a small crowd of servants and a few elite had gathered in the foyer, including the two gate guards.

"Savages." Letta forced out quickly then fainted dead away in Recely's arms.

Recely sprang from where she had been kneeling on the floor and ran toward the palace's treatment center. Letta was covered with cuts and bruises. She was filthy and was too thin for her height. Recely knew she had ran or at least walked to the palace from the woods. Letta couldn't fly and it was a much greater distance over hills and valleys on foot than in the air. 

Recely frantically ran down the zigzagging halls. She knew Letta wasn't strong, she could die so easily and she didn't want to lose another loved one that night. She knew that her brothers were gone. 

She was so distraught with fear that she didn't see the king until he grabbed her by the shoulders stopping her in her tracks.

"What do you think you're doing tearing around like that?" the King demanded angry yet concerned all at the same time. Kimpu's passing had put fear into him. 

He looked down at the child lying in her arms. It didn't take a genius to see that she was in serious trouble. The King took her from his mate so quickly that Recely didn't realize until he was halfway down the hall with the child. Recely stood stunned for a moment, ignorant as to how he moved so quickly. She continued her flight down the hall; frightened the King would consider the little weakling unworthy of rejuvenation.

To Recely's profound relief, Letta was quickly being put in a rejuvenation tank. She stumbled over to the chamber her little sister was in and pressed her hands and face up tot he glass. The chamber slowly filled with synthetic saiyan DNA. Recely closed her eyes and sank to the floor, relieved but still worried that something would go wrong and her only remaining family member would perish before her eyes.

Her eyes snapped open as she felt herself being hoisted off the floor and into someone's arms. The King had decided that she had exerted herself enough for one evening and was bringing her to her chambers.

"Who is that child?" The King asked as he walked out of the room.

"My sister." Recely replied and tried to wriggle her way out of the king's arms to no avail. She wasn't going anywhere. "Take me back, I need to be with her!"

"She's oblivious of anyone's presence right now and most likely will be for a few days." The King replied continuing on his way. "Now, tell me, how did she get herself here?"

"I don't know." Recely replied honestly. "She came on foot."

"Why didn't she fly?"

"She can't"

The king looked down at her confused. Most middle-classed saiyans could fly, Letta should've learned by then. The King was assuming she was at least a middle-classed saiyan.

"That's utterly impossible, Recely." The King stated. "There's no way she came this far on. The wildlife would've killed her before she even reached the farmlands."

"Well she's here, isn't she?" Recely asked impatiently. She already admitted that she had no idea how Letta managed by herself. Even the King thought it was unimaginable, and he didn't even know what her power level was.

"She must've had help. I'll send some men to scour the terrain from the palace gates to your family's doorstep."

Recely was touched that her mate thought her family so important. She didn't think he thought anything but power was important and her family was not powerful.

"Thank you." Recely replied gratefully. "But, I don't think the rest survived."

The King didn't answer that. They had arrived at her chambers. He kicked the doors open with one foot and carried her all the way to her bed. Then he gently set her down.

"Did your sister tell you what happened?"

"She said "Savages" before she passed out. You can guess what that means." Recely replied.

The king walked out of the room. "I'll send the full squadron of the elite to capture them and bring them here to be dealt with." The King said. "Don't worry. I will ensure that your sister is well taken care of." He turned off the lights as he exited. Recely collapsed on her pillows but she didn't cry. She decided she'd cried enough for everyone who'd died that day.

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Well, Recely. This is a fine mess you're in. You stayed with that man to protect your family and now that family is gone, except for Letta and this unborn child. Letta might not make it though, then what?

Recely stared blankly at the men kneeling before her, offering her their condolences.

It wasn't that she was surprised. She knew that her brother's were dead two days prior. She just knew.

She felt the king's large, warm hand curl around her shoulder and neck in a comforting gesture. "Did you manage to capture any of these savages?" The King asked.

"Yes, Sire. We have three in custody and they have been brought to the dungeon."

"Excellent." The King said and broke away from his mate. "I shall deal with them presently."

Recely ran behind him. The King turned a little surprised and confronted her.

"I shall make them pay for their crimes, Recely, you needn't worry about that." Stated the King with an eager half smile.

"No! I want to!"

"Recely, " The King replied gently. "You've fought them all your life, let someone else rid you of them."

"No!" Recely insisted. "I must confront them! They are my enemies, my opponents!" She sighed and looked at her mate pleadingly. "I should have been there to fight them. It was my responsibility to keep them in check and I failed. My punishment for that failure is the loss of my brothers, who's only failing was to keep company with me." Her face scrunched up into a vicious scowl. "I want to make those men atone for everything they've done! I want to do it myself and I won't allow you to stop me!" She then shoved past him and ran towards the dungeon. The king sighed helplessly and followed. He had been told.

They were all pathetic. Beaten almost to death. Blood smeared all over the floors of their cells. Only one was conscious and Recely recognized him.

She stood before the bars of the cell staring at him in silence for a few moments. She didn't know what she was going to say to him. He had been the one she had the hardest time with throughout her life. She'd fought with him many times and every time he got away, by retreating like the coward he was. Recely clenched the bars; the mere sight of the despicable creature enraged her.

He was the first one to speak. 

"So, the little woodland bitch ditched her burdens and took her right-full place as an elite."

Recely growled in rage at him. She clenched the bars still tighter and her jaw locked, preventing her from speaking. He had hit the nail on the head. She hadn't been there to protect her family. Not out of choice but still, she wasn't there.

"They weren't much of a challenge you know, that weakling of a man and those two little boys. It was short work. Too bad that little girl wasn't around anymore, we wanted to have a little fun with her before we off'd her. We were especially disappointed by your absence, Recely. I spent months recruiting those men and I promised them a good time. "

Recely was flabbergasted that he knew her name. She backed away from the cell and stared at him, not knowing what to do or say.

"We wouldn't have killed you Recely, we wanted you to join us. You're one of us, you know? You can't imagine how disappointing it is for a parent to discover that his child is a traitor to everything he believes in." 

Recely stared at him unbelievingly.

The Man started to chuckle and dragged himself to stand before the bars.

"That's the same expression your mother had on her face before I finished her the last time I took her. So what do you have to say to that, little elite?"

Recely grabbed him by the throat and yanked his whole body towards her. His head was forced through the narrow bars, cutting up his face and causing blood to drip to her feet. He groaned with intense pain as she positioned his head two inched away from her nose. She squeezed his throat closed then pronounced her response to his question in a confidant and proud voice.

"I am Recely, Queen of all Saiyans, and you are nothing but a disgusting piece of shit that is not worthy of the Saiyan race."

She punched him in the face with her free arm and he flew back and slammed against the back wall. She then fired an energy blast at him, disintegrating his body before he hit the floor. Immediately, she finished off his comrades in the same manner.

She turned as soon as she'd finished and made her way out of the dungeon. She tried to walk past her mate, who'd been here the whole time and heard everything.

"Recely.." He said gently and took her arm.

Recely didn't look at him and simply replied. "I need to be alone for a while, Vegeta." 

She pulled herself from his grasp and hurried out of the dungeon.

She couldn't believe that her father had known who she was all along. She knew that she would never get the memory of him out of her head. Every time she would look in the mirror, she would see him, his eyes, her eyes, staring back. 

So, a week later, she sat in her armchair, stroking the skin that separated her child from the world. 

Letta lay sleeping on a sofa in front of the fireplace. She told Recely and the king everything that had happened. She ran all the way to the palace, not stopping for anything out of the fear of animals and savages roaming the woods. She explained that she was inside the house when the savages came and saw them start to beat Sage and the two boys. She successfully snuck out the back door and fled into the woods. Not knowing who else to turn to for help, she made her was all the way to the palace. She was heartbroken hat she'd been too late.

Everyone was amazed at her journey, especially when they learned of her power level. Recely had been afraid that the King would turn her out. But for some strange reason the King almost instantly developed affection towards her. He said,"A person could learn something about determination and perseverance form Letta".

Then he continued to say that giving the circumstances of past and present survival against fatal odds, she must have some extremely important purpose waiting for her. The King said that she was to stay at the Palace, which delighted Recely so much she threw her arms around her mate and gave him a thank you kiss. Vegeta seemed very pleased with her gratitude. 

Letta's tutoring began immediately e next day and it was almost immediately discovered that Letta extremely bright. Besides teaching her how to read and write Recely was unable to teach her much else from the lack of books in their home. Her light was being hidden under a bushel and now it had the opportunity to emerge in full glory. This made Recely very, very happy.

Recely walked over to her sleeping form and smoothed out her hair affectionately. "I knew that I would never regret protecting you so much. You're going to be a very important person someday, Letta. I know that Sage would be proud." 

The next day she was being sent off to study with some of the alien scientists at the hospital. Recely knew she would miss her, but Letta wanted it so badly. She said she wanted to help people. So, Recely would give her up, but her mate assured her that the little girl was free to enter and exit the palace at will and could consider it her home.

She sighed happily. A week earlier she wasn't sure she'd ever be happy again. 

A soft tapping against her stomach interrupted her train of pleasant thoughts. Her baby was kicking for the first time. Recely squealed in delight and placed both hands on her stomach to feel. She smiled, thrilled at the first indication that her child was alive inside of her and would soon be in her arms. 

But then her smile faded to a sad frown. She wondered what her child's life would be like. Like herself, this child was not a product of true love. It was a product of selfish desire, all on the father's part. 

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How can I bring this child into the world knowing what his life will be like? I know Vegeta will want to train him as soon as possible. I know he has good reason, but this child will not understand it. He'll see the world around him and want to be apart of it, but he won't be. That's not fair.

Her whole life had gone form bad to worst within a few short months. But she wasn't going to give up. 

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Letta did not give up on our family, and I will not give up on mine.

"I'll never give up on you." She said to her child. "I promise I'll always be there for you."


	3. The Queen: Chapter 3

thequeen3 ****

The Queen:

Part 3

By: senzubean

I do not own Dragon Ball Z in any way. I make no profit from this story. I just wrote it for fun.

****

Chapter 6: Birth 

Recely wanted to join in with the screaming.

Prince Vegeta had been born over an hour ago. He was tiny, looked exactly like his father and was very loud.

The midwife/nursemaid the king hired was standing by her bed, stoic. She looked impatient. She had been there since the day before and she obviously wanted to get on with her other duties. Her niece and assistant, who was Recely's age, had helped her queen much more during labor than the midwife had. She had done more than any of the 6 doctors had done either. They all made it clear that they'd much rather be off doing something else than be delivering a baby, which was traditionally work for midwives. And if they had to deliver a baby as important as the prince they certainly did not want to share the honor with five others. That was tough, because the King wanted doctors around and his son and mate. Since no one was going to argue with the king, poor Recely had to put up with the complaints. Besides, her mate was absent, another cause for Recely's agitation.

"I don't know...." One of the doctors said to the others as they all stood around the angry infant. They had measured his power level and it was what everyone hoped, the highest of any saiyan ever born. What they complained about was the Prince's overall physical appearance. He was smaller than average for a saiyan baby and according to them his color was odd. Recely was unaware of this, because she hadn't even seen him. As soon as he'd been born they took him to the other side of the delivery room placed him on a small table and crowded around him. Recely understood that they would have to make sure that her son wasn't in any danger and was healthy. But they had finished the assessment long ago and were just staring at him now. Didn't they know that his mother was anxious to hold him?

"Do you think His majesty will find him suitable?" Another doctor asked.

"There have been others like this, they don't last long."

Recely slowly rose to a sitting position. The assistant tried to coax her back to her pillows but Recely didn't hear her protests. She was too disturbed by what the doctors just said.

The doctors all silently agreed and proceeded to wheel the Prince out of the room.

"Where are you taking him?" Recely demanded in panic. She was afraid that they were going to do something horrible to her child

A doctor turned and bowed to her as the others continued along their way with the heir. "Highness, His Highness Prince Vegeta needs special treatment to prolong his lifespan. We've all seen infants like him before. I'm very sorry but I'm afraid his death is inevitable. "

Recely looked to the midwife who nodded her head in agreement. The queen was in disbelief. How could this be happening? She heard the doctors announce that his powerlevel as the highest of any child ever born. She just didn't understand how a child so strong could die. 

Recely watched as her son disappeared into the hallway.

"STOP!" she commanded. All six doctors turned to her.

Her infants wails brought tears to her eyes. " I want to hold him first."

"But.." The elder doctor protested. Recely glared at him impatiently, her sorrow turning into anger. If looks could kill the doctor would've been dead. He picked up the screaming baby brought him to her.

"Your son," the doctor stated, paused for a moment then hesitantly added. "Prince Vegeta."

Recely took her naked child from him and her eyebrows furrowed as her anger grew more intense.

"You idiots! Of course his color is odd! He's freezing! Look at him, he's blue! Someone get me something to wrap him in!"

The doctors stared at her in disbelief and the midwife 'Hmph'd' in disgust. The assistant was there immediately with a blanket and quickly spread it out on the bed beside Her Highness.

"It's allright." Recely cooed at her son as she placed him on the blanked and wrapped him in it securely. She then picked him up and cuddled him. Vegeta's screams ebbed into tired whining as he settled comfortable into his mother's arms.

"Oh look!" The assistant exclaimed. "He's color is beginning to take the shade of a healthy baby."

Recely laughed with joy at that statement. 

"Your Highness, it does appear that your son's health is improving, " the eldest doctor piped in." but I strongly suggest..."

"I don't care." Recely cut him off. "If he's going to die, he's going to die. I would rather it happened here with me than with you people." She added curtly. The doctors looked at each other helplessly then obeyed the queen's orders. She sighed and smiled at her son. "I assume you're hungry too, Vegeta. Don't worry, I'll have those nasty men punished for treating you so badly."

She turned to the midwife questioningly. She was still looking at her with that disgusted look and the younger appeared to be astonished for some reason. "How do I feed him?" Recely asked trying to ignore the two conflicting expressions. She had taken care of an infant before but since she had not been Letta's mother she did not breast feed her. No one had thought to teach her prior to her giving birth. 

"I don't think that is wise, your highness." The older midwife said with a hint of condensation. Her niece looked up at her in shock.

"But aunt Cy, he's the Prince!"

"Hush girl!" The midwife scolded her harshly. The 17-year-old looked at the floor in shame. "Your highness is too young too understand whet those doctors were discussing before. Sometimes a child is born with his full power level. It's very rare, but there are certain signs that this is the case. Babies like that are usually small like that ton e is and they have blue coloring not because they are cold but because they have poor oxygen distribution. They never become any stronger and they usually have scores of other medical problems. That child is the same. By feeding it you will only create a bond with it and you will have a hard time when the king disposes of it." The midwife said all this plunk and plain. Her niece was very upset. Recely was just appalled.

"Don't worry, I'm sure the king will do it in a way as to spare the child any pain. And as for replacing him, His Majesty will have you started on another soon enough. So, give him to me and I'll see to him until His Majesty arrives." Boldly, the midwife reached for the prince. Recely violently slapped the offending hand away from her child, causing the woman to yelp in pain.

"I will not give him to the likes of you! This is my child and I didn't ask for your advice regarding his acceptability! I asked how to feed him, so tell me or go!" Recely stated defiantly and held her baby closer as she spoke

"You are making a big mistake! The King will never accept that scrawny little rat as his heir. He'll dispose of him like garbage, and if you actually do have a powerful child, which I doubt such a pathetic excuse for a woman like you could, he'll be too much for your feeble little brain to handle! To think that you're the queen of our glorious warrior race? You're just a little girl who hasn't had the sense to grow up!" 

"You're useless to me, leave!" Recely screamed causing to Vegeta to cry even louder than he had before. Recely tried to comfort him; she had felt him jump in her arms as she yelled and was upset that she'd frightened him. 

The angry midwife turned and started to leave. "Come Beana!"

Her niece obediently started to follow.

"I did not dismiss you." Recely said harshly while staring at the older woman, who glared right back.

"Pardon me, Your Highness." Beana apologized sheepishly and bowed to Recely. She retook her position beside her.

The old midwife had the audacity to slam the door behind her. Recely seriously considered summoning the guards to have her imprisoned but she figured with an attitude like that she would eventually undo herself. 

She heaved an angry, frustrated sigh. She had been through a lot the past day and the last thing she needed was that kind of confrontation. Recely inhaled slowly for a few minutes and listened to her baby cry. She prayed the midwife and doctors were wrong about what the king would think.

Recely managed to smile at Beana despite her worry. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to enrage your foolish aunt. I don't want to keep you against your will. You may rejoin her."

"Thank you your Highness, but you are tired and need assistance with the Prince. " Beana bowed courteously. Then she smiled wryly. "Besides, I've been waiting a long time to enrage that bitch of an aunt!"

Recely burst out laughing. "Well then, I'm glad I provided you with that opportunity. She is a horrible woman!"

"Yes, and I had the misfortune of being raised by her." Beana laughed. "Now to business. I believe your little Prince would like to eat. Although to be completely honest, I'm not quite sure how it's done. I've never met a woman who wanted to hold her newborn let alone feed him."

Recely stared at Beana in disbelief. She couldn't fathom a mother disregarding her child like that. IT was too cruel.

King Vegeta watched his mate in silence. Recely was asleep on a settee in her library. Her back was turned to him and he watched her side rise and fall with her steady breathing. 

His Majesty sighed in relief. The doctor had told him through his communicator that his mate was alive and well, but his son's condition was a different story. This news disturbed him somewhat but as long as his mate was fine there was nothing, in his opinion, to worry about.

He turned to leave, not wanting to disturb her slumber. He assumed that she needed her rest after giving birth to such a powerful child. A powerful child, but not a healthy one. His majesty wondered whether or not he should inspect the infant or just leave it be. The doctors said that it would die on it's own. The king wasn't sure he wanted to be the one to help it along, putting it out of its misery.

He was nearly out of the room when he heard a tiny whimper emanate from the center of the room. Knowing that it was not Recely making the sound he looked around him, positive that he had not seen a cradle before.

Recely stirred at the sound and lifted her head to look at something between her and the chair. 

"Shhh, go back to sleep, Vegeta." She softly cooed. She was about to settle back down with the baby when she heard breathing from the other side of the room. She turned to see who had joined them without announcing his or her presence.

"Vegeta." She said apprehensively a she rose to a sitting position. The motioned for her to remain prone but stopped his protest when he caught a glimpse of what she was holding.

"Wh..why is he here?"

Recely held the baby tighter. "If he was going to die, I'd rather him do it here with me than alone in some incubator."

"Recely..."

"No, Vegeta. Don't try and take him from me. He is not going to die."

"I wouldn't ever hurt him." The king replied, assuming that she was implying that he would do away with the child. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for you. I wanted to come as soon as I heard that you were in Labor but the occupation..." the king stopped his explanation when he saw the queen's expression indicated apathy. 

"Could I see him, please?"

Recely remained motionless at the request, still gripping the sleeping infant.

"Please?" The king prodded gently attempting to convince his mate that he meant what he said. Slowly Recely held up the baby to him. The King took his son gently and cradled him like his mate had. He looked at the child a he stirred restlessly from the disturbance of being passed between parents. The King was shocked at the similarity between them. He had the exact same hair, the same facial features. The infant whined slightly as he blinked his eyes, focusing on his father's face.

The King couldn't suppress a gasp of awe.

They had the same eyes.

Prince Vegeta blinked confused at the stranger holding him. Then his complacent expression morphed as he frantically started wailing.

The King turned his back to his Queen as all this happened. Recely stood up frightened and demanded that her child be returned to her.

The King didn't hear her as he watched his son flailing his limbs in anger wanting to be returned to the safety of his mother's arms.

Recely was at the brink of tears begging her mate to keep his word and not hurt Vegeta. She was about to fling herself at the kings back with he intent of taking her son when the eking burst into jovial laughter. The sound startled Recely and she stared at him in disbelief. The king turned to face her again with a very happy expression. Recely stared back shocked, she had never seen him so outwardly pleased.

"He's so strong!" the King exclaimed as he struggled to keep his grasp on the screaming wriggling prince. "There's nothing wrong with him. He's perfect."

Recely smiled with a mixture with relief and joy. She was glad that her mate approved. She looked at The King bouncing the baby in his arms in effort to calm him. 

"You look tired, Recely." The King stated seriously as the baby's screams settled into whines. "You should rest, I'll give The Prince to his nursemaid." He transferred the slightly frazzled child to his right arm and cradled him against his side and entwined his other arm around that of his Queen's

"I'm going to officially announce his birth to our people right now."

Recely heaved a sigh of relief and allowed her to be led to her bedchambers.

****

Chapter 7: The Test

The King stared down at his son who was pleasantly sucking on his thumb and staring back. It was 3 AM. Beana had been dismissed, Recely was still sleeping since earlier that evening and the King was contemplating his decision. 

"You're obviously healthy, why those doctors thought you weren't I don't know"

Prince Vegeta gurgled at his father in response.

The King half smiled back. "But, are you really as strong as the power estimators say?" Prince Vegeta waved his arms and legs happily underneath his blankets, oblivious as to what his father was about to do to him. 

"All saiyans must be tested, Vegeta. Of course, since you're the crown Prince, you'll be tested differently. There'll be no planet occupation for you any time soon, but the test you must endure is much harsher. The question is, will you be able to withstand it?"

The baby gurgled again and wiggled his tail under the blankets. King Vegeta removed the coverings and took a firm hold of the fluffy appendage. He knew that the tail was every saiyan's weak spot and the elite were no exception, but some saiyans were more susceptible to the weakness than others. An elite could withstand much more trauma to the tail than a 3rd class saiyan could, but all saiyans were instinctively protective of it. Prince Vegeta emitted a low growling noise and glared at the offender. The King lifted his arm above his head taking the baby along with it. The Prince screamed at the top of his little lungs. The King remarked that he wasn't shedding tears, so his screams were those of pure anger. His little face turned beet red and he clenched his tiny hands into fists of rage. The King was impressed thus far, most babies would've been crying from pain at this point, not anger, and a weaker baby would've passed out a few moments after being lifted in the air by his ultra-sensitive tail.

The King debated whether he should continue with the next part of the test. The Prince obviously could withstand much more than any average saiyan could have, but the King decided that he wanted to see if the Prince could withstand more than an elite could. 

The King clenched his hand around his son's tail, knowing that the added pressure would be more than an adult could handle at this pint.

Prince Vegeta screamed even louder and to his father's amazement emitted an aura of energy. The King dropped his child as the energy connected with his hand and lightly stung it. The Prince fell on the mattress head first then bounced onto his back. He kept up his angry screaming for a few more seconds then stopped abruptly. The energy he emitted had disappeared as soon as he connected with the bed. . He looked up at his father who was staring down at him incredulous as to how the child had released his own power after only being born a few days before. Never had he heard tell of such a thing.

The King smiled and gently tickled his son's belly affectionately. 

"I know you'll be a super saiyan, Vegeta." He said. Prince Vegeta didn't respond. He remained motionless and glared at the King. 

The King cocked his eyebrow questioningly. "Are you angry with me?" He asked amazed. Then he started to laugh. "You're angry with me! How cute!"

Prince Vegeta continued to glare for a few more moments then returned his thumb to his mouth

****

Chapter 8: Training

"Vegeta, get away from that door!"

"No!"

Nappa growled at the Prince's actions. Three and a half year-old Vegeta was standing with his back pressed against the door of the small training room he was in. Two saiba men loomed over him, squealing and laughing at him. Vegeta didn't like them at all. 

"Attack!" Nappa yelled through the intercom. The creatures obeyed instantly. Vegeta knocked them away frantically and ran to the other side of the room. 

"What is the matter with you?" Nappa demanded.

"Nufin!" Prince Vegeta replied defiantly. "Lemme out, I'm done!"

"You're not getting out of there until those saiba men are unconscious or worse!" Vegeta looked up at the video camera recording the session, then looked at the creatures that were standing over him again. He felt them to be just a bit too close, so he started to make his way towards the door.

"Your father will be very displeased with this performance, Prince."

"I'm not scared of him!" Vegeta replied defiantly then ran the rest of the way to the door.

"But you're scared of saiba men, huh?"

"No!"

"Then fight them!"

"NO!"

"VEGETA!"

"PRINCE VEGETA!" Vegeta corrected. He stopped his temper tantrum and calmly ordered, "You come in here, I want to train with you."

"No, your father wants you to train against them!"

"I don't care, I won't!" Vegeta replied. 

Nappa got up from his seat and opened the door. He caught the prince by the head as he tried to run by. Vegeta threw a power ball at his trainer in anger. Undaunted, The huge saiyan tossed him back into the room. "Do that to them!"

Vegeta scowled furious at Nappa, he didn't like being thrown and he didn't like where he'd landed, at the feet of the saiba men. He jumped up and latched on to Nappa's leg as he was leaving. Nappa grabbed him by the hair and threw him harder into the room. This time he knocked the saiba men down as he rolled across the floor. He stood back up, unhurt to see the door close. 

"Naappaaaaa!" he whined.

"Enough!" Nappa yelled through the intercom. " I'm tired of your games, this is training. Fight them now or I swear you'll be spending the night with them."

Vegeta shook with anger and whined furiously. He threw himself on the floor and rotated around to face the wall away from the camera. Nappa was unimpressed by the Prince's temper tantrum and he was even less impressed that he was refusing training and was turning his back on his opponents.

He was fed up. He shut off the intercom. Prince Vegeta heard it going dead.

"Nappa?" he asked and looked up at the camera, a little afraid that his trainer had did what he said he was going to do and left him in there for the night.

Nappa got up and left the room. 

He returned thirty minutes later with the queen. He'd stopped by the kitchen first to get a snack. 

"See." Nappa pointed to the screen. "Look what he's doing!"

"He isn't doing anything." Recely observed.

"Exactly! He won't fight them. I don't understand. He's not afraid to fight fully trained adults but he's scared of those things."

Recely glared at him annoyed. 

"He's three. You locked him in a dark room with a couple of beasts he's never laid eyes on before and you can't understand why he's frightened?" Recely asked. She looked at her son through the monitor and her heart ached, She didn't like him being afraid in his own home. He was supposed to be learning. _He'll never improve with this manner of teaching._ She turned on the intercom. Vegeta heard it, jumped up and looked at the camera. 

"I'll fight them Nappa! Please don't leave me here all night!" 

Recely whirled around and glared at the man. "Explain yourself!" 

Nappa laughed nervously. "That was just talk, Your Highness, I didn't mean it."

"Well he thought you meant it. Frightening him is not an acceptable teaching method!"

"Mama?" Vegeta asked.

"Well, what else was I supposed to do?" Nappa demanded before Recely could comfort her son. 

"Mama, can I come out now? Nappa is being mean."

Recely pushed the button that opened the doors. Vegeta ran to her and grabbed onto her leg tightly. She could feel his whole body trembling with fear. A half an hour was a long time to a frightened child. She picked him up and held him close. Vegeta flashed Nappa a look of triumph.

"I'll show you what you might have done had you any common sense." Chastised the Queen as she departed the room.

"I knew I shouldn't have brought you here." Nappa said as she was passing through the door. Recely turned.

"Pardon?" She demanded. 

"You're just a kid yourself. Just some girl from the woods. You don't know anything about being a warrior or a Queen."

Recely was livid. She wanted to show him that she knew quite a bit about being a warrior. But she as holding Vegeta and even though she knew by the Prince's smile that he wanted to see her defeat Nappa, she didn't think it would be a very good example.

"You're dismissed, Nappa."

"What? I was ordered by the King to train the Prince all day."

"Well, I'm ordering you now to leave." Recely turned her back to him and continued her way out. "I will resume my Son's training personally." 

Vegeta smiled evilly over his mother's shoulder as she carried him briskly down the hall and stuck his tongue out at Nappa.

Outside it was a lovely day. It was warm and the sun was shining. The garden looked beautiful even though the weeds were threatening to take over at any time. 

Recely smiled at her little boy who was happily digging in the dirt. They were going to do some gardening them selves. She and the Prince had taken their armor off. Vegeta had thrown his into the pond and would've thrown himself in too if Recely hadn't reminded him that they were going to train. 

"Mama, " Vegeta said as he finished his huge hole. "I don't think this is training." 

"Yes it is." Recely smiled.

"I think you're being silly." Vegeta replied and sat in his hole. Recely began to make her own small hole.

"I'm going to teach you how to size up your opponent." Recely explained.

Vegeta looked at her understandingly. "We'll need scouters then."

"No we don't. I'm going to teach you to do it without a scouter."

"Okaaaaay." Vegeta replied skeptically. And started to bury himself in his hole.

Recely giggled. "Who's being silly now? We're going to plant Saiba seeds, not you."

"Saiba seeds?" Vegeta asked. "Is that what the saiba men eat?"

"You'll see." Recely replied pleasantly and took out a container. She put a seed into her hole and covered it over. Vegeta crawled out of the dirt curious as to what his mother was doing. She then poured green goo on the hole. Vegeta watched in awe as a saiba man grew in seconds.

Recely watched his reactions; afraid he would be frightened again. Soon his gaping mouth curved up into a smile.

"So, dere just seeds!" Vegeta stated amazed "and you grew them all!"

Recely laughed. She thought it was incredibly cute that her little boy thought that only she had the power to grow saiba men.

"You can grow one too."

"I want to! I want to now!" He exclaimed excited and made a new smaller hole like hers. She handed him the whole container and although he used a little bit too much of the growth formula, he did an overall good job. Vegeta immediately got up and started to run around with the saiba man he grew. She let him just play with both saiba men for over an hour. They ran around and tackled each other playfully. Recely was surprised but pleased to see that the saiba men instinctively sparred with the prince as well. Vegeta learned in no time at all how the saiba men moved and fought. He was quickly outsmarting them. 

She stopped him after an hour and asked him some questions about his experience.

"So, what do you notice about the saiba men?"

"They're fast." Vegeta replied and crawled up on his mother's lap. The saiba men went to eat some berries from some of the bushes in the garden. "And loud." Vegeta added. He stood up and cupped his little hands around her ear. "But just between you and me, " He whispered. "They're not very smart."

Recely chuckled. "No, they're not. But they're good warriors nonetheless, aren't they?" Recely asked with a certain large thoughtless saiyan in mind.

"Yes." Vegeta agreed.

"So, you're not afraid of them anymore?"

"Nope." 

"So, you'll fight them."

"Yes, all of them except Mysaiba."

"Your saiba?" 

Vegeta nodded. Recely hadn't noticed when he was sparring but she remarked now that Vegeta had been avoiding sparring with the one he grew. His was a bit larger than hers was, probably because he used too much growth formula.

"Why not him?"

"Because he's my friend." Vegeta replied. "And I wouldn't want to hurt him."

Recely smiled. _Unafraid and confident._

Vegeta got up and faced her.

"Are we done now, Mama?"

"I think so." Recely replied.

"Can I go show Beana Mysaiba?"

"Sure." 

Vegeta laughed and ran to get his saiba man.

Recely got up and stretched. It was almost suppertime, she hadn't noticed how hungry she was. She picked up her armor off the ground. Vegeta was running towards the palace.

"Vegeta, fish your armor out of the pond before your father comes home and sees." 

Vegeta obeyed. He ran right in and started splashing around.

__

Maybe that was a mistake, oh well. Recely observed a little too late. Getting splashed interrupted her thought.

"Why you little.." Recely mock scolded and went right into the pond after him with the intent of getting him back.

"You call that training?" The king demanded furiously of his queen. Recely had just finished explaining how she rid the Prince of his fear of saiba men. She had just finished putting the Prince to bed and was planning on finishing the book she had begun to read that afternoon when she was interrupted by Nappa, but she was interrupted again by a large, annoying saiyan.

"It worked didn't it?"

"He's going to be a weakling if you train him like that. It was mostly play. Now he'll expect all of his training sessions to be the same and he'll be in for a rude awakening when they're not."

"Oh, lighten up, Vegeta." Recely replied and turned to get her book from the shelf. 

"I will not, Recely. He can't be weak in any way. Do you want him to save this planet or not?"

"Not if his happiness is sacrificed for it. This planet isn't worth that."

The king stuttered, shocked at his mate's blunt response. "Not worth it? You'd sooner have us be slaves for all eternity?"

"Humph!" Recely scoffed and sat down in her reading chair. "I doubt even Frieza has figured out a way to live for an eternity and besides, from what I've heard buzzing around this place is that the average saiyan likes destroying innocents. Why should we make everyone unhappy by shutting down the planet trade?"

"Listen little woman, we do what we have to. They like destroying planets as much as I do. I hate killing off species, it's wrong."

"Yeah, you proved that opinion of yours allright." Recely replied sarcastically. . He was a hypocrite in her eyes. He could've obtained planetary dominance without killing the Tsoofur-jin, but he wanted to have some fun She hated her mate, if it wasn't for her son she'd attack him outright. Even then the king probably wouldn't kill her. He loved her more than anything. 

"You dare chastise me?" The King erupted. "I did what I felt was needed to be done at the time. I admit that I was wrong to destroy all of them, but believe me there were a good deal of them that deserved to be destroyed!

"And who do you think you are to go and make that decision?"

The King glared at her with fury in his dark eyes. "I was young Recely and I made a mistake." He replied patiently. " I don't want to continue repeating it for the rest of my life."

"Then take responsibility for this planet, Vegeta."

"I have!"

"No, you've passed that responsibility onto our son!"

"He will be the King!"

"Yes, but right now he is the Prince and you are the King. He won't be able to rule this planet for a long time, Vegeta. So, you need to make a decision, either you handle this problem that is Frieza or you wait and let Vegeta grow up before passing the problem onto him."

The King was obviously still angry with her. He loved her, but sometimes her familiarity with him got on his nerves.

"The Prince is not a normal child, Recely." The king stated calmly. Recely gave up hope with that statement remembering how Sage had stubbornly upheld that belief of Letta. But the King was much more stubborn in his belief. _He doesn't think of Vegeta as our son, he's only the prince to him. An object for his usage._

"He will surpass my power level within a few years." The King continued beginning to pace the floor in front of his mate's chair. "This planet will have a very young King at that time, one that needs to be fully trained. Whether he chooses to oppose Frieza then or not is up to him, but I must prepare him for that option. I wouldn't be any kind of a father if I didn't prepare him, now would I?"

Recely watched him patiently as he confronted her, waiting for an answer. She had to admit that he was right. But she believed that they could still guide him. If his father would only treat him with a little more respect.

"He puts his very best into everything." Recely mumbled to herself.

"I know."

"Then show him that you appreciate that." Recely opened her book to the page she left off at." He needs that from you." The King turned to leave. 

"All right, I will then. As long as you promise to train him in a more orthodox way."

"Fine, I promise." Recely agreed, unwillingly. She felt he'd missed the point entirely. "As long as you promise to remember that he is just a child and doesn't have the capabilities of an adult. No matter how much you train him, you can't add 15 years onto his life."

The king smiled at her warmly then continued his way out. Recely rolled her eyes at his back. The king was forgetful and the Prince was mischievous. She knew that he'd forget the next time the child got on his nerves. 

****

Chapter 9: Disaster

Recely winced. Not because she was in pain but because she had inflicted pain on her child. Prince Vegeta rolled across the floor and slammed against the wall. Recely felt incredibly guilty. She didn't like training her son this way. She liked using words better but she had to train him in the Elite tradition, which was experience training. 

The King had insisted she do this a week ago. He had told her that children who were trained properly at the Prince's age grew into extremely talented and powerful warriors. Recely didn't think the method mattered very much, but the King insisted and she knew that if she disregarded his wishes she wouldn't be spending any time with her child anymore. _Besides_, Recely thought and glanced at Nappa, who was monitoring the session, _it's better than that ass-hole beating my little boy._

Vegeta lay on the floor motionless. It was the third time he'd trained with his mother and his father had been right. The prince did expect a more nurturing kind of training from his mother and he had had a very rude awakening. 

Recely's heart ached, she wanted to comfort him, but she just couldn't with Nappa watching. For Nappa had the largest mouth of any male saiyan on the planet. Recely swore there was actually an old gossipy hag inside his massive exterior.

A few minutes passed and Vegeta did not get up. Recely was getting worried; he usually stood up quicker.

"Get up, Prince." Nappa instructed. No response. Recely panicked. She was sure she hadn't hit him that hard, but her son wasn't showing any signs of life.

"Vegeta?" Recely asked in a concerned voice.

Vegeta looked up at her with red brimmed eyes. "Yes Mamma?" he said meekly.

"Get up, Prince, stop wasting time." Nappa ordered forcefully. Recely turned her neck and shot a warning glance at him. Nappa appeared shaken by the gesture. This somewhat surprised Recely. Nappa had always acted like he was better than she was. _Humph, coward! He's seen the wounds I gave the King._

__

That's it! Recely decided. _Enough of this. I'm the queen and his mother and I'll train him in the way I feel is best for him._

"That's enough for today." Recely announced.

Nappa cocked an eyebrow at her a little confused. 

"But.." He started.

"I said this is enough." Recely replied, took her son by the hand and led him out of the room. As she had suspected, her mate had not listened to her opinions at all the week before and had not rewarded their son for his exceptional behavior in any way. She decided that it was time for her to give him that reward.

Nappa shrugged and casually followed. He figured if the King had a problem he could take it up with his queen and not him, since it wasn't his decision to end training five hours early.

The King had returned from his meeting with Frieza in a bad mood. This wasn't unusual; Frieza always set King Vegeta in a bad mood. To make his agitation worse he'd found Nappa sweet-talking some ladies in the palace sitting room upon his return. The King demanded the young warrior why he wasn't training the Prince like he had been ordered and, of course, Nappa obediently told him who had cut the training session short.

So, the King immediately went to find his mate and voice his displeasure, but was stopped on the way to her chambers by the racket emanating from the prince's.

The King flung the doors open causing the laughter to cease. Prince Vegeta, his saiba man and Letta, who had obviously come for a visit, stopped there jumping on the bed and stared at the unwelcome guest.

"Hello, Papa." Vegeta said unconcerned. His mother had given Letta and him permission to play with the saiba man in his room.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? That bed is for sleeping not jumping!"

Prince Vegeta scowled at his father, angry that his fun had been interrupted.

"It's my bed and my room and I'll do what I want in it." Vegeta saucily replied. 

The vein in the king's forehead throbbed as he tried to contain his rage in front of Letta, who was slowly creeping off the bed.

"Letta, go find something else to do." The King said calmly. Letta quickly finished getting off the bed, thankful for the dismissal; she hurried out of the room.

"But we were playing!" Vegeta protested in frustration. He rarely had a playmate and was angered that the privilege was being taken away. He didn't understand what he'd done to make his father angry. It was his mother who stopped training early, not him, and she said he could do whatever he wanted for the rest of the day.

"You're supposed to be in training now!" the King replied sternly.

"But Mama said.."

"I don't care what your mother said, you know better, Vegeta. You know that I expect you to train by yourself when there is no one around for you to train with." The King angrily interrupted his son's excuse. Then he folded his arms and waited for a better excuse and an apology. What the Prince had to say did not please his father.

"But Mama said.." Vegeta began again in a meek voice. The King grabbed him buy the front of his shirt and hoisted him into the air at arms length.

The Saiba man was angered by the king's rough treatment of Vegeta and lunged at the offender. Vegeta screamed for him to stop too late. The King batted the creature away with his free arm. It bounced off the floor then lay still, unconscious. Vegeta wailed in horror, he was too young to be able to decipher between unconscious and dead, so he feared the worst.

"Shut up!" The King said shaking him. "It's your own fault! What did I tell you about that thing?"

Vegeta sniffed trying to hold back tears. "Y..you said I couldn't have him."

"Why are you constantly disobeying me?" the King demanded, still holding the child by the shirt.

"I wasn't disobeying." He took a deep breath about to attempt his explanation one more time. "Mama said that since I've been training so hard all the time and being so well behaved that I deserved a break for today. Just for today, I promise I'll train real hard tomorrow, Papa. So, I didn't disobey you 'cause you didn't say that I couldn't. And as for Mysaiba, Mama said that I could play with him for just a little while. I was going to put him back outside before supper."

The King looked at his son unmoved by his speech.

"You are the Prince of this planet, Vegeta. Someday you will be king. I'm getting sick of explaining this to you! You need to train every single day, no breaks! As King, I don't get breaks from running this Kingdom."

Vegeta's lip quivered in frustration. "But I did train today, we just stopped early. That's not so bad is it?"

"Vegeta, what did I just say?"

"You said that I was the Prince and someday I will be the King and the King doesn't get breaks."

"Good, you were listening after all. You have to train everyday, all day. Breaks will make you weak. The Prince of all Saiyans can't be weak."

"Maybe I don't want to be the Prince of all saiyans then." Vegeta blurted out in anger.

With that the King threw his son off the floor, hard. The Prince cried out in fear rather than in pain. He pushed himself into a sitting position, took one look at his father's furious face and instinctively slid backwards across the floor. Which was a big mistake.

"Little weakling!" The King spat disgustedly at the Prince's retreat. "You don't deserve to be my heir!"

"I'm s...sorry, P...Papa! It slipped out, I didn't mean it."

The King walked over to him slowly then kicked his son in the face, sending him flat on his back. The King then placed his foot on the Prince's outstretched tail. Vegeta didn't move or complain. He instinctively knew that he should remain perfectly still in this situation.

"You can't take back that little slip of the tongue with more words, Vegeta. You're going to have to prove to me that you're a worthy heir to my throne."

The King shifted his weight to apply more pressure to his son's tail. Despite a small gasp of surprise the Prince emitted he made no reaction. His father himself told him that to attack a saiyan in his weak spot was dishonorable. Vegeta had always considered his father an honorable man, the fact that he was acting in this way was worse than the pain he was inflicting.

"Papa, I'm sorry, it was mistake to say that! I promise that I won't ever complain again."

The king scowled at little Vegeta. He had told him that he didn't want words and that was all he was fighting back with. He wanted to see the anger he showed in his infancy, the power he had used to defend himself. The King put all his weight on his son's tail, popping the tiny vertebrae and inflicting pain that the child had never imagined possible.

"Papa stop, please!" Prince Vegeta cried out. The King furiously kicked him across the room. He slammed headfirst into the wall, leaving a massive dent, and lay motionless but not unconscious. The King waited for Vegeta to get up and attack him. He'd done more than enough to enrage the child. He didn't understand why the boy's defensive instincts hadn't kicked in yet.

Instead of Vegeta getting up he lay on the floor and began to sob uncontrollably. He knew that he shouldn't, that his father would find it completely unacceptable behavior, but he couldn't help it.

The King picked him up by the front of his shirt, yet again then slammed him against the wall, pinning him there level with his face.

"What the hell is the matter with you? I've been training you for months! Why won't you fight back?" the King demanded. This wasn't the kind of Prince he wanted as his heir. He needed someone who wasn't afraid of a higher figure than himself.

"B..b..be..cause..you..you're..m..mmm..my ..Papa." Vegeta choked out between sobs.

"So, you'll surpass me someday, everyone will expect you to kill me. I expect you to kill me!"

Vegeta looked at him mournfully and sobbed harder.

"I..I d..ddon't ..cc..care. I.. I won't..K..kk..kill you. I C..ca..an't!"

The King looked at his son's blood smeared face and was completely disgusted at the tears washing that blood away. Saiyans did not act like that. They didn't admit to the things the Prince was admitting to. Love? That was not considered important to saiyans. If the King's father had attacked him like that at the Prince's age he would be all over the man. The King wanted his son to be the perfect Saiyan not the sentimental weakling he was fast turning into and King Vegeta knew exactly who to blame for that. 

He let go of the boy and he dropped limply to the floor. Vegeta looked up at him expectantly, wondering if his roundabout proclamation of his love had any effect on his father.

The King glared scornfully at the boy. _If this doesn't provoke a defense in him nothing will._ _He can choose between his life or his sentimental attachment to me._

"If you refuse to challenge my position as ruler of this planet then you are blatantly refusing the position yourself. I don't have time to waste on uncommitted Prince's, Vegeta. Therefore, you must die!" 

Prince Vegeta tried to protest but he could not make the words he was thinking audible. He shrank back against the wall terrified as his father powered up and extended his arm towards him.

"Goodbye, Prince." The King said distastefully and was about to fire.

Prince Vegeta closed his eyes whiting for oblivion. He heard a crash and thought it was all over, but soon realized that he could still fell the stabbing pain in his tail and knew that he was still alive.

He opened one eye and saw his Mother standing over him, scowling in the direction of the opposite wall. He looked over and saw a gaping hole in his bedroom wall revealing the pink sky outside. His father was no where to be seen. 

Moments later the king reappeared outside, hovering just outside the hole in the wall. He growled and flew towards her. Recely growled herself and lunged right back. The two locked in hand to hand combat, punching and kicking each other in midair. Vegeta was terrified; he'd never seen his mother in a fight. She was attacking the King like a savage, clawing at his face and ripping open his flesh. The King was having trouble holding his own against her, something overtook her body. She'd never fought with him like that before. She grabbed him by the neck and flung him backward over her head. He landed on the floor ten feet away. Recely then whirled around and flung a massive power ball at him. He had tried to rise off the floor but the ball hit him on the chest and shoulder. He slammed back down to the ground and lay there stunned. 

Recely took the opportunity to retrieve her son and get he hell out of there.

The commotion was enough to gather a small crowd. They watched dis-believingly as the queen tore out of the room holding her severely injured son. Then they were even more surprised to see the king stagger out of the room after her, barely able to stand. 

No one dare speak to him. The king seemed to be in a world all his own. Slowly he looked at them.

"Don't you people have work to do?" He demanded in a weakened voice. Everyone departed quickly and the king continued his way down the hall, leaving a small trail of blood behind.

Recely stared at their son through the glass of the rejuvenation tank. Tears streamed down her face. The Doctors said that he would be fine in a day or so, but she still cried.

__

Why would Vegeta do this to him? She wondered. _How could he be so cruel to his own son?_

"You're careless, woman." The King said as he walked in the infirmary. The doctors moved out of the way and tried to look busy, but listened intently to what would no doubt be a juicy conversation, perfect material for gossip. 

Queen Recely turned and looked at him unimpressed. She couldn't believe that she had ever been afraid of him. She thought she would never have the power to beat him, but now she knew that tit was possible.

"You should have finished me off when you had the chance. Do you really think I'm so hurt that I couldn't kill you?"

Recely stood in front of the rejuvenation tank protectively. "Come any closer and I'll finish you off." 

"You wouldn't" The king hissed.

"Try me!" Recely snapped back. "I'll rip you to pieces if you attack our son again!"

The King remained silent and glared at her. Blood dripped from his scalp to the floor and he took deep breaths through clenched teeth making himself look threatening despite the appearance of his bludgeoned body.

"What are you contemplating, Vegeta?" Recely demanded. "Are you thinking about destroying your son and I and getting yourself a more ideal family?"

"Damn it woman! Can't you see that I love you both!" the King erupted cringing internally at his confession. Love, the emotion he despised, as it was not _ideally_ saiyan. He would never admit it to anyone else but his queen. He considered himself a flawed saiyan because of it, and he did not want his son developing the trait. "I _love_ you!" HE repeated distastefully. "I the King of the saiyans loves his child. No saiyan loves their child! Don't you understand that? To do so is a show of weakness. You made me weak, woman!" Spat the king. " You made me weak and you're making our brat weak. That's why I push him so hard, I don't want him killed."

"And yet you attempted to kill him yourself?" Recely spat back, indicating his hypocracy and letting him know that she thought his speech was a load of shit.

"I wasn't going to kill him!"

"It sure looked like you were."

"If you had've minded your own damned business you would've seen that I was just trying to provoke the brat. He's only been training for two months, Recely, I don't expect him to be a warrior yet. I just wanted him to fight back!" He yelled, then clamed down. " I don't understand why he wouldn't defend himself."

Recely shook her head and laughed disdainfully.

"You are an idiot Vegeta. A person only defends his or herself against things that they see as a threat. Vegeta didn't see you as a threat. He understood that you were angry with him, but he didn't expect you to harm him like that."

"Damn! He's already weak, and this is only the beginning!" Complained the king, clenching his fists.

Recely shook her head again.

"You don't get it Vegeta, you broke your bond with him today. Why would he do what you say? You don't respect him and yet you demand he respect you. Well, I've got news for you. He won't respect you, ever! He won't listen to anything you have to teach him. You didn't even consider that, did you? All you cared about was what everyone would say about your so called perfect saiyan genes if the Prince turned out weak!"

The Speech didn't have the desired effect on the king. Perhaps it was because he truly was an idiot and that he truly didn't care. But it was more likely the Kings injured pride.

"Didn't you understand me, Recely, he's already weak and the only person to blame for that is you with your low class heritage. That combined with your incessant coddling of him. I've made my decision. I guess I am an idiot, for if I were wise, I'd destroy you or at least exile you from the planet, but I won't. You will remain in the Palace, but you will not have free access to the prince. The only time you are henceforth permitted to be with him is in my presence unless I tell you otherwise."

Recely growled in rage. "That's not fair Vegeta! He's my son too, I have aright to be with him whenever I wish!"

"He's the prince and can not be spoiled by such unnecessary and frivolous privileges as those you grant him."

"Play time is necessary for a child! It's how they learn!" Recely replied furiously.

"He's the Prince! Maybe that's how weaker saiyans learn but the elite have better education methods!"

Recely glared at him and decided to drop this conversation. She would never convince him to allow little Vegeta time to himself. Besides, she had a much larger problem to deal with now.

" I'll fight for my right to be with him!"

"Undoubtedly," The King replied and chuckled almost evilly. "But, be fore-warned that your defiance of my order will come with a price, one that Prince Vegeta will have to pay."

"Price?" Recely spat through clenched teeth. She scowled at him so much that she could hardly see through the slits of her eyelids.

"Yes, the Price of cleansing him of all the weakness he's doused with every time you're together. I think I've done a good job of cleansing him of it today. He'll remember, and contrary to your belief he will respect me. He knows I mean business now, and he'll respond to the training better." 

Her eyes popped open, appalled that he'd punish her disobedience by harming their child. She was regretting being so anxious about providing him with little Vegeta. Had she known he'd treat him this way she would've said to hell with her family and killed herself on the spot.

"I'm truly sorry Recely. I love you both. That's why I'm doing this. It will be hard on the both of you now, but when he's fully trained it will be worth it. He'll defeat Frieza and the three of us can be together for the rest of our days, safe and free!"

The King went to touch her face but Recely violently slapped his hand away.

" None of this will ever be worth it!" She spat venomously and ran out of the room.

Recely flung open the doors to her chambers then whirled around and slammed them as hard as she could behind her. To her disappointment, they didn't shatter.

Letta heard her come in and ran to meet her. She'd heard the fighting form the prince's room and had been worrying frantically ever since the noise stopped.

"Is Vegeta all right?" Letta demanded in extreme concern, her eyes puffy from tears.

Recely looked down at the little girl, but instead of seeing her sister, she saw another possible blackmail object for the king's use.

"Get your things together. You're going back to school immediately." Recely said in the nicest voice that she could muster, which was not nice at all.

"What's wrong?" Letta asked urgently.

"Do as I say." Recely calmly responded.

"But Recely.."

"GO!" Recely yelled. Letta then immediately obeyed.

Recely walked into her sitting room and collapsed into a chair. She tilted her head back and breathed shallowly.

"I..I'm ready." Letta said nervously and stood in front of her sister very concerned. Recely had never yelled at her before.

"Good, now listen carefully." Recely said as she leaned forward putting her face at eye level with Letta's.

"You are to stay with the scientists. You're not to ever come back here, do you understand?"

"No." Letta replied honestly. "Why can't I come back?"

"You can't come back because the King can't be trusted."

"Why, he was so nice to us before."

"He was never nice to us, Letta. The King was the worst thing that could've possibly come into our lives. He'll use you against me, like he's using Vegeta against me now."

"Is Vegeta all right?" Letta repeated her previous question. She didn't quite understand why her sister was so sad and upset. Just how was the King using the Prince?

"He's fine." Recely lied. Physically he would be fine, but mentally, Recely knew that he had already been traumatized beyond repair and somehow she had to prevent that from happening to him again.

The liquid surrounding Vegeta slowly drained from the isolation tank. He wanted to open his eyes and breathe on his own, but he knew that he was supposed to wait until the doctor told him that it was OK to remove the breathing mask. It didn't take long for this to happen and he was allowed to stand up. He almost fell down again. His tail still hurt tremendously even after his treatment. 

HE stepped onto the cold floor outside the tank and felt goosebumps appear on his bate arms and legs. HE wanted a towel but he was afraid to ask. His father was there waiting for him. Vegeta stared at the floor afraid to look at him.

"Are you all right?" His father demanded in a tone that masked the concern he had for his child.

"Yes." Vegeta replied simply in a meek voice.

The King turned his back to him and walked away. Beana promptly went over to the Prince and wrapped him in warmed towels and gently guided him to the doctors waiting for him by the examination table. They would decide whether the he needed more time in the tank or not. After about ten minutes they determined that no more treatment would be necessary and gave instructions to Beana concerning his care for recovery. They also assured the King that Prince's ability to transform would not be harmed.

The King then ordered that his son be taken to his bedroom. Vegeta couldn't remember exactly what had happened to him. All he could remember was his father being angrier than he had ever been before and stepping on his tail. After that it was a blur. But after Beana got him settled into his bed and comfortable he noticed that something was different about his bedroom. It was clean, it didn't look like there had been a battle in there, but something else was different. It took the Prince a few moments to figure out just what it was that was odd about his little space in the world.

He gasped as he realized the door to his mother's chambers was missing and his father entered the room from his own. "Where's Mama?" Vegeta wailed just as his father entered the room through the doors adjoining to his chamber. "What did you do to her?" Prince Vegeta accused as the man advanced on his son and the very nervous nursemaid. 

Prince Vegeta remembered what had happened now. His mother had saved him. She attacked his father and won. No one attacked the King, and no one had ever won; therefore, He feared the worse for her.

The King ordered Beana to leave, and after that was done he turned to his upset child and scowled at his pathetic expression in disgust. "I sent her to some appointments on my behalf." The King replied. "I didn't do anything to her."

"But the door!" Vegeta protested, pointing at the wall.

"You've both lost the privilege of each other's company. When you redeem yourselves, I'll replace the door." The King replied matter of factly.

Prince Vegeta started to pant and looked from the wall to his father then back. He started to whine and tears rolled down his cheeks. He didn't want his mother taken away from him.

"SHUT UP!" The King bellowed making the Prince start and stare at him terrified. "Enough of that pathetic whimpering! Saiyans don't go on like that and you're the Prince for pity's sake, you have to set an example for our people."

Prince Vegeta stopped crying and changed his expression from one of fear to one of rage.

"WHY!" He demanded, clenching his trembling fists.

"Because, neither of you take your position on this planet seriously. Until the two of you start behaving the way I want you're not to see each other. Do you understand? If you want to be with your mother then you had better start paying attention to what I tell you and try harder, because if you don't, Vegeta, I swear I'll exile her."

"You wouldn't!" Vegeta said shocked. 

"I certainly would, don't tempt me to prove it."

"D..don't y..you love her?" Vegeta stammered trying to hold back tears.

"I have a responsibility to my planet and my people," The King replied, ignoring the question his son had posed." and that responsibility involves training you to be a good king and the best Saiyan of all so you can get rid of Frieza! That way we can all be free. Non of us are free, Vegeta. Don't you want to be free?"

The Prince nodded assuredly.

"Well then, if we are to be free than you need to kill Frieza."

"But why me? It's not fair!" Vegeta yelled in frustration. He didn't understand why he alone out of all the people in the entire e universe was the one destined to destroy the ruthless Frieza.

"As I just said, Prince, you are the best." The king replied as calmly as he could, his paper-thin patience was wearing very, very thin.

"No, I'm not, there's plenty of people stronger than me. I'm not strong enough."

"Not yet. But you're very young and have time to get strong." The King sat on the bed facing his son and took a hold of his face gently but firmly so that he had no choice but to pay attention and make eye contact with his father as he spoke.

"Vegeta, do have any idea how strong you are?"

" I was the strongest saiyan ever born." He replied mechanically. Everyone knew on the planet knew that. The probability of him being the strongest saiyan of his peers later was almost definite. "But father, what about those races that are stronger than saiyans to begin with?"

"There are stronger warriors than you now. But you forget, Vegeta, that you are very, very young. Yes, you were born phenomenally strong, the strongest saiyan ever born in the history of all saiyans. There was only one other saiyan that possessed such natural strength and that was the super saiyan. Don't you understand Vegeta? You will be the next super saiyan, I know it!"

Vegeta's eyes widened in surprise.   
"You will be the strongest saiyan of all. Then if you keep training with great determination you'll surpass Frieza and become the ruler of the entire universe."

"I don't know." Vegeta replied unsure.

"You will rule the Universe Vegeta, because you are the best. But I need you to train harder."

"I am training hard."

Not hard enough." The King disagreed." There must be nothing else on your mind but training. You need to cast off any desire you have for anything else and strive for perfection in fighting. You need to forget about toys, and play. You will have time enough for such things when you are ruler of the cosmos, my son."

"But Mama, I need her."

The King stood up and looked down at him. "You don't need anybody but yourself, Vegeta. A good warrior relies on no one. That is the way Frieza works. He cares for nothing and no one. Mimic that behavior, son. Care for nothing and no one until you have everything."

Vegeta looked at the bedcovers and sighed. His father didn't understand he didn't want everything, there was only one thing he wanted and he was sure now that he'd never be able to achieve it. The Prince did not share his Father's ambition, but he still wanted to please him and make him proud. 

The King walked across the room and turned off the light. 

"Now, go to sleep. You need to rest in order to recover. We have to recommence your training as soon as possible."

Recely angrily tossed books from the shelves in her sitting room the next morning. She wanted to rid herself of everything the King gave to her. She was enraged.

She looked over at the wall where the doors to her child's room used to be and threw one of the books at it. 

__

It wasn't enough for him to just threaten me! Recely complained internally and biffed more books across the room.

"Queen Recely," a servant asked.

"What." Recely demanded impatiently. She wasn't in the mood to be polite.

"The Prince requested the care of his saiba man be entrusted to you. I took the liberty of reseeding it." He held out the container and growth formula to the queen. She took it from him and stared at it. 

"Tell the Prince that I will keep it safe." The queen said understanding that Vegeta feared for his friend's safety with his father around. She had seen the creature unconscious the day before and guessed who had rendered it so.

She then brought it to her desk and locked it in the top drawer. She then attached the key to her mother's necklace for safekeeping.

"At least I can do something for him." Recely said depressed and began to pick up the books she'd thrown around.

She growled frustrated. _I want Vegeta to be mine and only mine._

**Chapter 10: Frieza**

"Come on, you can do much better than that!" Nappa chastised his student.

The Prince growled, angry that his best hadn't been good enough. He had to try harder. His father was watching.

The King leaned against a tree in the courtyard watching his son train. He smiled as the Prince lunged himself at Nappa when the warrior turned his head ever so slightly to inspect some servant women that had come outside with some laundry that needed to be air dried. The Prince picked up on his trainer's distraction and took the opportunity to show him just what he could do. He punched. The Prince's tiny fist connected dead on with Nappa's jaw. Nappa stumbled backwards and wiped his own spit from his face.

"Why you little..." He exclaimed and dove at his student in a fit of choler. Vegeta saw this coming ahead of time and was prepared to jump out of the way. He did a somersault over Nappa's head as he went to grab him. The massive warrior skidded across the grass on face down and smashed his face on the trunk of a tree.

King Vegeta burst out laughing at Nappa's foolishness. His temper always got the better of him and caused him to make stupid mistakes. Prince Vegeta smiled quite pleased with himself.

"Well done, Prince. I'm impressed." The King said proudly. Prince Vegeta beamed at this compliment, ecstatic that he'd managed to please his father.

"And so am I." Said a voice. The cleaning ladies gasped and quickly returned inside the Palace.

Frieza accompanied by Zarbon and Dodoria crossed the courtyard.

The king went to his son and stood in front of him protectively. Nappa frantically tried to wipe the grass stains from his bare chest and took a position on one knee and bowed submissively. 

Vegeta stood behind his Father very confused. He had never seen Nappa submit like that to anyone besides his Father, then to his astonishment his father did the same as Nappa.

"Greetings, Lord Frieza." King Vegeta stated, then got up. Prince Vegeta unconsciously grabbed on to the King's pant leg and examined Frieza from the protection of his father.

"Hello, Vegeta. It's a lovely day on your planet. I was just on my way home form the last planet you occupied for me, the clients are very pleased with it. I thought since I was passing by I'd drop in and congratulate you in person."

"Thank you Lord Frieza. But the compliment does not belong to me alone, my men are very hard workers and are proud to be your servants."

"Yes I know." Frieza replied somewhat uninterested. His eyes were focused on the child nearly completely hidden behind the King's massive leg.

"Is this the little Prince I've heard so much about?"

The King chuckled nervously. "Yes." He replied as he removed his leg from in front of his son and gently nudged him with it into the open for Frieza's inspection.

To the king's relief, Vegeta didn't cower. He stood up like he was facing any of the elite.

Frieza studied him and smiled.

"I watched you fight. You're quite the little warrior."

Vegeta stared at him, not knowing how to respond to that.

"You like fighting, don't you?"

"Yes." Vegeta promptly answered.

"Come here." Frieza ordered and motioned towards him self with his index finger.

Vegeta looked up to his Father for his approval. The King motioned with his head for him to obey.

Vegeta walked up to Frieza's hover throne like he would walk up to anyone, proudly. He stopped a bout three feet in front of it and looked up expectantly at the warrior.

Frieza chuckled pleasantly. "How strong are you, little Prince."

"My Power level is 890." Vegeta replied.

"Goodness, you don't look that strong!" Frieza stated in over-exaggerated astonishment.

"Well, Father says that you're the most powerful being in the entire universe and _you_ don't look _that_ strong."

King Vegeta went bug eyed at his son's bold observation. 

Frieza belly laughed at the child. His tail twitched happily. Then it swung. Then it lashed out and smashed the Prince on the side, causing him to go flying through the air and slam into the tree his Father had been leaning against.

"HEY!" Nappa cried out in anger. The King held up his hand to him, warning him to control himself.

Prince Vegeta was hurt but he got up quickly, quite unsteady and looked at his still laughing attacker. He was confused as to what he should do. The pain on the side of his body where he slammed into the tree was excruciating, as was the side where Frieza had struck him with his tail. Vegeta never suspected that a tail could be used to attack. It was taking all his strength to keep himself standing. He would've gladly remained on the ground but he didn't want his Father to be ashamed of him. 

"Papa...." He whined and stumbled over behind his father's leg again. The King allowed the small display of weakness considering that not even he was expecting the attack. Had the attack come from an elite the King would've been angry at his son's whining, but the attack came form Frieza, the fact that his child was still conscious was testimonial to his great strength. 

King Vegeta examined Frieza's facial expressions, trying to determine whether or not the lord of the universe realized his son's great strength as well.

Frieza stopped laughing and looked at the Prince again.

"Well, Princeling, we now both know that looks can be deceiving. I'm very impressed." He turned to King Vegeta. "You've got something to be proud of there." 

"I know." The King replied solemnly. He was quite angry with Frieza for attacking his son like that. Vegeta didn't know any better than to say what he did. That was his mother coming out in him, she said whatever she liked.

"I have a job for you, Vegeta." Frieza started then continued to relay the particulars of the task to his servant. Without being told, Nappa came over to the King and Prince and picked the ailing child up then headed towards the palace.

Vegeta watched his father over Nappa's shoulder as they walked away. When they got into the palace, Vegeta whined again, only more loudly than before.

"Don't be upset Prince. You acted the way your father wanted."

"But.."

"You now understand why your father is always pushing you so hard, don't you?"

"Yes." Vegeta replied with a sniff. The pain was getting unbearable.

"We'll get you fixed up."

Vegeta decided right then that he hated Frieza.

Recely stood alone in the far corner of King Vegeta's siting room, staring out of the massive picture window at the city. She hardly noticed anything going on around her. The King was having a party for some reason. Recely did not care to know what it was for, there had been no occupation of late. She felt the party in bad taste considering that not two days before they were at eachother's throats.

A servant offered her some refreshments and she sent him away with a hand gesture. She normally wouldn't have used an action she considered so rude, but she was in no mood to be polite. She was angered by the fact that the King obviously expected her to help him entertain his guests after what he'd done to her and her child. Recely had a surprise for him though. She absolutely refused to talk to anyone but Argo or Sala.

Argo made an attempt to console her. Promising that he would talk to his best friend, but Recely doubted that that would work. The King seemed determined to keep her away from her child at all costs.

The sensation of her cape being tugged broke her reflection. She glanced down, expecting Sala again but was pleased to see her son smiling up at her. Recely faintly smiled back hoping that the King was not watching. She glanced over in his direction and felt her heart sink as she saw that he was watching, intently. Recely pleaded with her eyes for him to allow her a small conversation with her child but the King wasn't going to allow it. He shot a fierce warning glance at her, none like she had ever seen before. It was absolutely savage.

Recely's smile, faint as it was, gave Vegeta enough indication to start talking. "Mama, did you hear what happened to me yesterday?" He asked proudly, remembering how his Father told Frieza that he was proud of his him. But he saw his mother staring across the room and not listening to him. 

"Mama?" he prodded and tugged at her cape a few times to regain her attention.

Instead of answering her son's plea, she turned to his nursemaid.

"It's well past his bed-time." She stated simply, with a hint of regret that only Beana noticed.

"But..." Vegeta protested as his mother led him away from her with her hand on the back of his head.

"Good-night, Vegeta." Recely stated as Beana took him by the hand and led him through groups scattered all over the room. Vegeta stared back at her as he was led. The look on his face broke his mother's heart. But she knew that if she did not shun him that his father would hurt him. She didn't want that to happen. 

Recely returned her gaze to the king, demanding to know if he was satisfied. He responded by turning towards one of his elite and began conversing with him, ignoring the queen's presence once again.

Recely hmph'd and returned her attention to her city gazing.

_He will be mine and only mine! I swear!_

****

Hey! Senzubean here! I Hope you've enjoyed the story so far. It continues on in "The Prince". The focus switches from Recely to Vegeta. That's why I split it up into two different fics. Happy reading!


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